Missing
by Nelowl
Summary: As Rodney and Carson are returning to Atlantis, their Puddle Jumper is shot down by an old enemy who takes them hostage. As those back on Atlantis try to mount a rescue, their efforts are hampered by the fact vital pieces of equipment keep going missing,
1. The Crash

**Title:Missing**

**Rating:K +**

**Warnings: None**

**Summary:** As Rodney and Carson are returning to Atlantis, their Puddle Jumper is shot down by an old enemy who takes them hostage. As those back on Atlantis try to mount a rescue, their efforts are hampered by the fact vital pieces of equipment keep going missing, and the main suspect is Jinto.

**Disclaimers: **I don't own any of the _Stargate Atlantis_ characters, but I hope I've given them a fair representation in this story.

**Characters: **All especially John & Rodney, Carson-centric.

**Spoilers:** In the first chapter there is a brief reference to _Misbegotten_. And once the old enemy is revealed, there may be spoilers for other episodes. But I'll warn you in advance.

oOoOoOo

Carson sat down on the grassy bank of the lake, sighing with satisfaction at the sight before him. In the pre-dawn light, the water looking like a giant mirror, reflecting, darkly, the lush countryside around it. To his left, trees reached up towards the light blue sky, dark silhouettes against the pale morning light, each leaf etched with vivid detail. They marked the edge of a dense forest that led right up to the lake. Carson had only ventured into the outer reaches of the forest, but he had sensed there was danger lurking in its depths, and he was glad he wouldn't have to explore it further.

As he watched, in silent wonder, the sun peeked its head over the top of the distant mountains. It brought the sky to life, turning the pale blue into vivid pinks and burning orange. In the still lake, the colours were echoed, making it look as if the very water was on fire.

A gentle wave of homesickness hit him, making him smile. As a child, he had spent many summers at his grandparent's home. And there he had sneaked out of the house to see the sun rise over the loch bordering their property. The property was now his, left to him when they died within a few weeks of each other. Renting it out had enabled Carson to continue his medical training when the grants and scholarships had run out. He owed them much, not just the memories of sunrises over the water.

The silence of the morning was broken only by the calling of the native birds, singing their hearts out as a greeting to the new day. Slowly, almost sub-consciously, Carson became aware of a rumbling counterpoint to the bird-song. Out of the sunrise, silhouetted black against the fiery sky, came a puddle-jumper. From its slightly erratic course, Carson decided it must be Rodney who was piloting it. He smiled at the thought of going home again.

Something about this planet made him feel uneasy. During his time in the Pegasus Galaxy, Carson had become more accustomed to travelling to other worlds, and he no longer felt an anxiety that was almost a physical pain. But on this trip, something niggled at the back of his mind, causing him to feel tense and jumpy.

He'd been on the planet for over a week now. Accompanied by a small medical team, he had been helping the native healers to combat a nasty illness that was similar to typhoid. The rest of the team had returned the previous day, but Carson had stayed to keep an eye on some tests he had been running along with Silis, his counterpart on this planet.

Now it was time to return to Atlantis, and Carson was filled with a real sense of relief to be leaving. He had been thinking about it last night, trying to figure out why he felt so on edge, and he had come to the conclusion that something about this planet reminded him of the one they had used to isolate Michael and the other Wraith. Carson had had flashbacks on more than one occasion since he'd arrived here. And they were not pleasant. The most vivid images were of being tied to the bed and Michael's wraith-like face gazing down at him with vengeful determination. Carson seriously hoped once he returned to Atlantis that these flashbacks would stop, or he might need to pay Kate Heightmeyer a visit.

"Ah, Carson, there you are." Rodney's voice cut through Carson's musings.

"Aye, Rodney," he replied, smiling gently. "Here I am."

"Well," Rodney continued. "Are you ready? I've not got all day to hang around and wait for you. I've important work to do, and can't spent all day acting as your chauffeur."

"All my stuff is waiting back at the village," Carson replied.

"Good, good," Rodney replied. "Let's get going then."

"Aye, Rodney," Carson replied, hiding his smile.

As they approached the camp, Silis came to greet them. He reached out his hand to shake Carson's.

"Thank you, once again, for all your help, Carson," he said, still stuttering slightly over using Carson's first name. For most of the visit, Silis had insisted on calling Carson 'Dr Beckett' until the Scot had gently suggested that as colleagues of equal standing, it would be entirely appropriate for the healer to call him 'Carson'.

"It was my pleasure, Silis," Carson replied, warmly. But he sensed an anxiety about his fellow healer, an edginess that hadn't been present, even during the height of the medical crisis.

"I definitely need to get out of here," Carson thought to himself. "I'll be imagining half the planet is having a nervous breakdown next."

As Carson and Rodney turned to go, one of the children, Shela, broke through the crowd of people who were had gathered to say farewell.

"Dr Carson," she called, her voice the high, sweet voice that only children possess. "I have a gift for you." She ran over to him, and slipped her small hand into his. He crouched down so that his face was on level with hers.

"And what might that be?" he asked with a gentle smile.

She brought the hand she had been holding at her back round so that he could see what she held in it. It was a beautiful rock, like many he had seen along the shores of the lake. It had been worn smooth by the water, and in the morning light it glistened with a rainbow of colours.

"Aww, thank you, Shela," Carson said, his voice full of emotion. "It is truly beautiful, lass."

She smiled at him, and reached over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Carson!" Rodney's impatient voice broke through the sweet moment. "When you've quite finished! We need to get back to Atlantis today, not next week."

"Aye, Rodney," he replied, humouring his friend. But he rolled his eyes, then winked at Shela, who giggled in response.

It didn't take them long to load up the jumper with the help of the local people. Rodney was in his element, barking orders and generally making sure everyone knew he was in charge. Carson didn't mind. He was tired, after all those days and nights of tending the sick. It was good to be able to sit back and let someone else take the strain for a while.

As Carson turned to bid his final farewell to Silis, a strange expression fleeting crossed the other man's face. It was almost a look of pain. Carson gave him a quizzical look, but before he could he could say anything, Silis turned away, and lead his people back towards the village, out of the cloud of dust the jumper would create.

"That's odd," Carson said, half to himself.

"What is?" Rodney asked, only half listening, as he readied the jumper for take off.

"Nothing," Carson said, not completely convincingly.

"Well, let's get going then."

Carson settled himself in the co-pilot's seat as Rodney finished his preparations, and instructed the jumper to take off.

Carson held his breath. He trusted Rodney, but he still felt slightly nervous when his friend was in charge of the puddle jumper. It reminded Carson abit of the way his Mum drove her car. It was perfectly safe – it just didn't feel like it.

"That's odd," Rodney said, making Carson give him a sharp glance.

"What's odd, Rodney?" he asked.

"That is," Rodney said, pointing to a part of the display on the screen in front of them.

"It's a distress call," Carson said.

"Obviously," Rodney replied. "But that part of the planet isn't meant to be inhabited."

"Well, there is obviously someone there," Carson pointed out.

"Well done, Sherlock," Rodney replied.

"And does that make you 'Watson'?" Carson asked with a grin.

Rodney gave him a quelling look in reply, as he headed the jumper in the direction of the distress call.

"I suppose we'd better check it out," the scientist replied, ignoring Carson's last remark.

Carson got up from his seat, and headed towards the back of the jumper.

"Where are you going?" Rodney asked.

"I'm just getting my medical bag, just in case," Carson replied.

"That's one of the things I like about you, Carson," Rodney retorted. "You always look on the bright side of things."

"And you're Mr Optimism?" Carson responded.

Rodney was about to retort further when the jumper gave a sudden lurch to the left.

"What the hell?" Rodney exclaimed, as the controls seemed to suddenly develop a mind of their own.

"We're going to crash!" he shouted to Carson.

Carson barely had time to grab hold of something before the jumper gave a final sickening lurch and then came to a stand still, burrowed into the ground.

For a moment, the jumper was enveloped in a quiet stillness, with only the swirling dust moving.

Slowly, Rodney lifted his head from the control panel. His hand reached up to his forehead and came away with blood on it.

"Oh, brilliant," he said to no-one in particular. "Now I've probably got concussion. Carson," he continued. "I've got concussion."

There was no reply. Rodney frowned, trying to clear his befuddled mind. "Carson?" he said, turning slowly to try to find his friend. "Are you okay?"

Still there was no reply. Rodney got to his feet, and staggered slightly, before making his way, carefully, to the back of the jumper.

"Carson?" he called. "Where are you?"

It was then that he saw the doctor. He was sprawled behind on of the seats, his leg at a very strange angle. The Scot's face was deadly pale, and there was a pool of blood beginning to form at his head.

"Oh, God, Carson!" Rodney said, forgetting his own injuries for a moment, as he knelt at his friend's side.

Before Rodney could check for a pulse or breathing, he heard noises outside.

"At last," he said to himself. "Something is going right."

Rodney stood, and started to move towards the door. But when it opened, the sight that met his eyes caused Rodney's blood to run cold.

"We meet again, Dr McKay," a familiar voice said.

Rodney opened his mouth to give some stinging reply, but the words never quite reached his lips as his body was hit by the stinging blast of a stunner, and his world dissolved into unconsciousness.


	2. Captivity

John ran up the steps towards Elizabeth who was talking to the Chief Gate Technician. As he approached, they paused and two pairs of eyes turned to look at him. He took this as an invitation to interrupt.

"Elizabeth," he started. "Have you seen Rodney? I was supposed to meet him 20 minutes ago and he didn't turn up. He's not in his lab or his room or the Mess Hall."

Elizabeth and the Gate Technician exchanged an anxious glance, increasing John's concern.

"He went to pick up Carson, and they've not returned," Elizabeth explained, a worried frown between her eyes.

"We can't contact them by radio," the young Canadian technician added, before John could ask the question.

"Did you sense any hostility from them when you were there?" Elizabeth asked John.

"None," he confirmed, immediately. "They just seemed normal, or as normal as you get in this galaxy."

Elizabeth looked at him. She could see in his eyes the unspoken words she knew were in his mind. He would never have left Carson on the planet if he'd sensed any threat. Not after the last time. Not after Michael.

"Dr Zelenka," Elizabeth said into her comm-link. "Have you had any luck in tracing Rodney?"

"As far as I can tell," the Czech's voice came through the link, "he is not on Atlantis."

"As far as you can tell?" John asked. Radek was not normally as vague as that without good reason.

"We are having a slight problem with the sensors," Radek said, exasperation very evident in his voice.

"What sort of 'slight problem'?" Elizabeth asked, her eyes meeting John's.

"One of the crystals operating the sensor arrays has gone missing," Radek admitted, reluctantly.

"Gone Missing?" John said, surprise making his voice louder than usual. Several of the technicians around looked over at the small group in curiosity.

"So we've lost Rodney, Carson and a crystal, all in one conversation," he said, to no-one in particular. "That's pretty good going, even for us."

Elizabeth gave him a quelling glance, which had its usual non-existent effect on the pilot.

She turned to the young Canadian at her side, who was trying, unsuccessfully, to keep his face sombre. Ignoring his laughing eyes, she ordered a diagnostic of all the other systems to make sure nothing else was missing.

"Radek," she said into her comm-link, "I want you to investigate what happened to the crystal. We can't afford to loose anything else."

"Of course," came Radek's reply, his voice slightly distracted as if he was already into his investigations.

"Do you want me to find our missing doctors?" John asked, his light tone not quite disguising his worry about his friends.

"Yes," Elizabeth confirmed. "And be careful."

"Always am," he replied with a grin.

As Elizabeth turned back to her office, she could hear John contacting Teyla and Ronon as well as Lorne and his team.

With an efficiency born of much practice, it wasn't long before the team was assembled ready to go to the Jumper Bay for launch. Elizabeth felt a sense of pride at how well her people worked together, but her pride was tinged with anxiety, not just for this group that she was sending out into a potentially dangerous situation, but also for the two they were going to rescue.

Marshalling the team, John headed towards the Jumper. As he left, he turned to look up at Elizabeth. As their eyes met, he could read the message she wanted to send him. He could almost hear her saying 'Bring them home safely'. He nodded his response and then turned to follow the others.

oOoOoOo

Rodney fought his way back to consciousness only to wish that he hadn't bothered. He found himself in a dark, damp cell, with no light and nothing more comfortable than a thin, straw mattress to lie on.

For a moment he tried to gather his thoughts, trying to remember how he'd got there. And then, in a rush, the terrifying images of his memory came back.

"Carson?" he called out softly, his voice thin from the after effects of the stunner. "Carson!" he tried again, this time with more confidence and volume.

The only reply was silence.

Getting to his feet, Rodney tentatively explored the room, using his hands as a guide. He found the door, solid and unyielding. His attempts to open it only resulted in bruises and a few extra scrapes on his already suffering hands. He'd obviously injured his hands in the crash. He hadn't noticed it at the time. He had been too busy worrying about the badly injured Carson at the time.

His exploration of the room next took him to a corner, where the stench was enough to make him move away from it very quickly. There was obviously no en-suite in this prison.

Rodney's eyes were now beginning to adjust to the darkness. Although he wouldn't go as far as to say that he could see his surroundings, he could make out vague objects. There was a square shaped light patch near his bed, and he made his way carefully over to it, to see if there was anyway he could increase the light. His hand made contact with a harsh, stiff material. As he touched it, he could feel the air fill with dust particles that made him sneeze. And sneeze, and sneeze.

"Just great!" he muttered. "House-keeping ought to be shot." He paused for a moment, and almost laughed. He realised it was distinctly possible, given their captor, that house-keeping had been shot, at the very least.

He did manage to move the material away from the window enough to get more light into the room. It also allowed him to see that there would be no escape through the window. It was covered with thick, iron bars.

As the light trickled into the room, Rodney heard a groan from the other side of the room. Turning quickly, he saw the solid frame of Carson Beckett lying on another bed. He crossed the room quickly, and crouched down beside his friend.

"Carson," he said sharply. "Can you hear me?"

The doctor replied with a groan, his eyes still closed, dark lashes etched on his pale cheeks.

Rodney reached out a hand and gently shook the Scot.

"Carson," he tried again. "Now listen to me. I want you to open your eyes and look at me. It's important you wake up. You've got a head injury, and I want to see if you make sense. Or at least as much sense as usual." The last remark was muttered to himself.

"R'ney?" Carson's voice was weak and indistinct. The doctor's eyes still didn't open, but he did turn slightly in the direction of Rodney's voice.

"Yes, Carson," Rodney replied. "It's me, now waken up."

Rodney continued to examine Carson as he tried to persuade his friend to waken up. He noted that someone had put a bandage, a more or less clean bandage at that, round the doctor's head wound. There was blood seeping through it slightly, but the worst of the bleeding seemed to have stopped.

Rodney carefully lifted the covers off Carson's leg to see if it had been treated too. It had been. The leg was now straight and a make-shift splint had been strapped to it. Obviously their captor wanted them alive, at least for the time being.

"Where're we?" Carson slurred, his eyes now open a crack.

"In a cell somewhere," Rodney answered vaguely. "Sorry I can't be more exact, but I left my A to Z of the Pegasus Galaxy in the Jumper."

Carson managed to raise a weak smile in response, but that was enough to exhaust his energies, and the Scot turned his head away from the light, and his eyes fluttered shut again.

"Carson, now wake up!" Rodney continued, concern making his tone sharp.

"Tired," Carson muttered, almost inaudibly.

"I know, Carson, but it's important to try to stay awake."

"You should listen to Dr McKay," a voice said from the door. "He does make sense occasionally.

Rodney turned to look at their captor, his eyes full of the anger he was feeling. As he turned, Rodney could feel Carson's body tense under his hand.

The Scot's eyes flew open, wider now than before. "Oh God, no," he said, his voice full of despair. "Not you, again. Not again, not now, not now . . ." Carson's voice trailed away as his body gave up the fight to stay conscious.

"What do you want from us?" Rodney said, standing up, making sure he was between Carson and their captor.

"You will find out soon enough, Doctor," came the infuriating reply, as their captor turned silently, and left, closing the door with a solid thunk behind him.


	3. Destruction and Death

As soon as John stepped out of the Jumper, he sensed an air of tension. Rapidly approaching the newly arrived contingent from Atlantis, was a group of villagers headed by Silis.

"Colonel," Silis said by way of greeting. "What brings you back to our planet? Did Dr Beckett leave something behind?"

John regarded the man for a moment before speaking. Something about Silis' words didn't quite ring true. They were too rehearsed, too studied. His suspicions increased. He was trying to keep an open mind. On Atlantis, they had run through all the possibilities – all the reasons for Rodney and Carson not returning. It was possible they had suffered from a problem with the Jumper, something that had affected communications as well. They may even have crashed; though John was trying not to think about that one. However, now they were on the planet, John was leaning more towards a man-made intervention preventing the doctors' return.

"Dr Beckett appears to have left himself behind," John replied, slightly cryptically. "Neither Dr Beckett nor Dr McKay returned to Atlantis."

"What happened to them?" Silis asked, a look of alarm on his face. John wasn't sure if the other man's concern was genuine or not. But at that moment he didn't have time to investigate Silis further. He wanted to try to find some trace of Carson and Rodney before any trail there might be ran cold.

"We were hoping you might be able to tell us," John replied, ignoring the snort from Ronon standing behind him. Ronon definitely favoured the 'hostile action' option. He would have arrived on this planet all guns blazing, and then asked questions.

"We are concerned about them," Teyla added, giving Ronon a quelling glance as she took a step forward.

"Do you always come looking for your friends so well armed, Colonel?" Silas asked, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"Can't be too careful," John replied, succinctly.

Just at that moment, a figure came running towards them. It was one of the villagers that John remembered from his previous visit. He had shown them round the village.

The man slid to a halt when he saw the new arrivals.

"Pedron," Silas said, addressing the other man. "What brings you here in such a rush?"

Pedron just continued to look at John and the others with an expression of amazement on his face.

Finding his voice at last, Pedron addressed John. "But you are here," he said, obscurely. "I thought you had crashed. I saw your ship fall out of the sky and burst into flames."

"When was that?" John asked, his voice edged with tension.

"About an hour ago," Pedron replied. "I was many miles distant from here when I saw it, and I came back as quickly as I could to get help."

John turned to look at the others. He could see a look of pain flash across Teyla's face. Ronon slapped his gun against his leg.

"Can you take us to the site?" John asked expressionlessly, trying not to let his feelings show in his voice.

It was a sombre group that made the journey to the crash site. John had sent a couple of Lorne's team back to the Jumper to bring medical supplies. He just hoped they would have the chance to use them.

The sight that met their eyes when they reached the clearing where the Jumper had crashed was one of devastation. The Jumper lay in three pieces, spread out among the undergrowth. Each part was burned, not completely, but enough to suggest that anyone who might have survived the crash, wouldn't have survived the fire.

As John looked around in horror, Ronon bent down to examine one of the pieces of the Jumper. He stood up with something in his hand.

"Sheppard," he said, holding out the object to John. There was a wealth of sadness in the big man's voice.

It was a watch – one that Beckett normally wore. John took it carefully, almost reverently.

"There is a body here," Lorne said, trying to keep his voice devoid of emotion. John went to join him. It was impossible to see who it had been. The body had been burned beyond recognition, and all that was identifiable was a piece of a jacket – just like the one McKay had been wearing when he went to pick up Carson.

"There's another body here," Teyla said, turning to look at John. He could see the pain in her eyes. He went over to it. It was like the first body, burned beyond identification.

"Let's take them back to Atlantis," he said, looking round the site. "We can come back later and look through all this stuff to see what happened."

Lorne's men gently picked up the remains of the bodies and laid them on the stretchers they had brought. Covers were gently laid over them, and the group started its sad progress back to their Jumpers.

oOoOoOo

He looked up as two of his followers entered the room.

"Did it work?" he asked.

The taller one replied, with a grin, showing all his teeth. "Perfectly," he replied. "They found the Jumper and the bodies, just as we planned."

"We?" he asked.

"Sorry, 'You planned'," the follower corrected himself.

"What are they doing now?"

"They took the bodies back to their own ship," the other follower replied. "They seemed sad," he continued, gleefully.

"And won't it be interesting when they find out whose bodies they have taken so reverently back to their city?" the first follower interjected.

All three grinned widely.

oOoOoOo

Once they were in the air, John dialled Atlantis.

"Did you find them?" Elizabeth's voice echoed through the Jumper, a note of eagerness filling the quiet sadness that engulfed the group.

John took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth," he said, gently. "The Jumper crashed and burst into flames. We were too late to help them."

He could hear a gasp from the leader of Atlantis. "Bring them home, John," she said, sadly. "Bring them home."

oOoOoOo

Carson woke with a start. His eyes opened wide and he tried to take in his surroundings. His fever-fuelled nightmare had forced him to relive the crash, again, and again, and again. His body felt exhausted from the tension, from the pain.

"Carson?" Rodney's voice reached him across the room. The scientist got up to his feet and moved to Carson's side. "You back with me?"

"Aye," the Scot replied, in a voice that did not sound like his own at all.

"I don't have any water or anything to give you," Rodney said, a frown on his face, and concern in his voice.

"That's okay, Rodney," Carson replied gently. "I'm no' going to die on you, just yet."

"And I'm glad to hear it," Rodney replied, trying not to smile. "I'd hate to be stuck in here with a stinking corpse."

Carson closed his eyes for a moment, trying to focus his wandering thoughts.

"Did I really see who I thought I saw?" Carson asked.

"If you think you saw who I think you thought you saw, then you saw who you think you saw," Rodney replied.

"Rodney," Carson said, "I've got a moderate to severe concussion, I've got a broken leg that is currently setting itself out of alignment, and the last thing I need is for you to confuse me even more than I'm confused already."

"Sorry," Rodney said, not really sounding sorry. "Genius humour here."

"Rodney!" Carson said more strongly than before.

"Yes," Rodney replied. "You did see him. And before you ask, no, I don't know what he wants with us. He wouldn't tell me."

"But since Dr Beckett is now awake to hear me," a familiar voice said from the door, "I think I might just let you into my plans now."

"Oh," Rodney replied, "so you didn't just kidnap us to torture us for the hell of it."

"Tempting though that might be," their captor replied, with a snarl, "I have other plans for you. Both of you."

"Our friends will be looking for us," Rodney replied, trying to remain defiant in the face of the enemy.

"Are you sure?" their captor asked. Carson didn't like the way he asked the question. There was a sense of knowledge behind it. For some reason or other, their captor knew that their friends weren't looking for them.

Rodney had obviously come to the same conclusion.

"Why do you say that?" he asked, a bluff belligerence in his tone and his stance. "The only reason they would stop looking for us is if they found us, or knew we were dead."

"Exactly," came the exasperating reply. "And now do you want to hear my plans for you?"

Just at that moment, an alarm sounded through the building. With a final look at the two doctors, their captor turned, and slammed the door quickly behind him.


	4. Return

Elizabeth stood watching the Jumper come through the Gate, her heart heavier than ever it had been since her arrival in the Pegasus Galaxy. They hadn't made any general announcement, yet. But the Atlantis Grapevine was working as efficiently as ever, and there were numerous small groups standing round the control room area, waiting for their fallen colleagues to be brought home.

Elizabeth had made sure that the people closest to Rodney and Carson were told. In fact, she had done the task herself. She felt she owed that to Rodney and Carson. Radek had told the other scientists and Jeff Stanton had told the medical staff.

As John led the others out of the Jumper, he looked up to meet Elizabeth's gaze. He nodded, but the usual smile was absent. She moved down to meet the group. She couldn't force herself to look at the two covered stretchers; her memories of Carson and Rodney were too vibrant to be dulled by the lifeless bodies. They had been the heart and brains of Atlantis. She wondered how the community would survive without them. She wondered how she would survive without them.

Dr Biro appeared so she could escort the bodies to her morgue. Although she was her usual professional self, Elizabeth could see the strain around the other woman's eyes. She had dealt with the death of colleagues before, but she was close to Carson, and that must make her difficult job even more stressful.

"I'll get the results back to you as soon as I can," Biro said to Elizabeth and John. They nodded their agreement and just stood, watching the progress of the small, sad group, as the stretchers were carried carefully out of view.

"What about Cadman?" John asked.

"I've contacted her," Elizabeth confirmed. "She is still on the Daedalus, and they're returning here. Colonel Caldwell thought he might be able to help in the investigation."

"He would," John retorted, the stress of the last few hours showing in his response.

"He thought it might take the strain off of us, John," Elizabeth said. "We have lost two very important people, and he realises that it is going to affect us."

"How is Laura?" Teyla asked, her concern shining in her tearful eyes.

"As well as you'd expect," Elizabeth replied.

The returned group lingered in the control room. By rights, they should be heading to the Infirmary to be checked over, but none of them really wanted to go there. The place was steeped in memories of Carson and also Rodney, who had spent a great deal of time there.

"Under the circumstances, I think we could forego the medical checks," Elizabeth said.

"No," Ronon said, abruptly. "Beckett said they're important. We should stand by that."

The others nodded their agreement, and, eventually, Elizabeth nodded too.

"I'll see you later for a de-briefing," she said, as they turned to leave. John nodded, then followed the others out.

oOoOoOo

Shela crept through the undergrowth. No-one had noticed her when she followed the people here. She wanted to know what had happened to Dr Carson. He'd been kind to her, made her feel better. And she wanted to see if she could make him feel better too.

She had huddled in the undergrowth, crying, as they found the bodies. Although she was young, she lived in harsh world, where death was an everyday occurrence. But she still felt sad. Her Ma had said, that when she felt sad, she should do something nice, and that would make her feel better.

With that thought in mind, Shela ran into the forest. She knew that Dr Carson liked flowers, and when someone died, they usually put flowers on their burial mounds. Maybe Dr Carson would like that too.

As she went deeper into the forest, to the place where the prettiest flowers grew, she started to feel a little bit afraid. She'd never been this deep into the forest by herself. She'd always had a hand to hold and a bigger body to shelter behind.

But she wanted to do this nice thing for Dr Carson, and if that meant being brave, she would be brave. With this thought in mind, she headed to her flower place.

She had almost reached the glade when she heard the voices. It didn't sound like any of the men who lived here. As she peered through the bushes, she realised they didn't look like any of the men she had seen before. They looked scary; they were even a different colour from 'her' men.

Now really frightened, she forgot about the flowers for Dr Carson. She needed her Ma, and she needed her now.

Taking to her heals, Shela ran through the forest, at a speed that would even give Ronon a run for his money. She didn't stop until she was safely in her Ma's arms, and was being soothed by her kisses.

oOoOoOo

His blue eyes took in his surroundings. His head was clearer now, and the pounding in his head had subsided to just half a percussion section. His leg was still agony, and he let out an involuntary moan as he tried to move it.

Rodney was at his side in an instant.

"What is it?" he asked, his voice slightly panicky.

"Nothing for you to worry about, Rodney," Carson replied, trying to sooth his friend. "My leg just objected to me trying to move it."

"It's not going to go all septic on me, is it?" Rodney asked, looking at the leg with distaste.

"No, Rodney," Carson assured him. "It's broken, and if it's not set, I might end up with a limp, but I'm not about to develop gangrene."

"Are you sure?" Rodney asked, not sure if he should be relieved.

"I am a doctor, Rodney," Carson reminded him, his lips quirking with amusement.

"I know, but then you keep telling me that doctors don't know everything."

"And I don't," Carson agreed. "But I do know about broken legs, and from personal experience too."

"You've broken your leg before?" Rodney asked, diverted for a moment, just as Carson intended.

"Aye," Carson replied. "Playing football. The real kind of football, not that American rubbish."

"I didn't think it was that dangerous," Rodney said, curious now.

"It can be," Carson assured him. "I happened to be unlucky enough to be marking this muckle beast of a man. He didn't like it when I tackled him and took the ball off him. So he returned the compliment and nearly took the leg off me."

Carson chuckled at the memory. But the chuckle died in his throat as the door opened again. Standing there, silhouetted against the light, was his nemesis. His one-time patient, now his most avid foe, Michael.

"I see you're making yourselves at home," the Wraith said, his smile revealing his vicious teeth, but devoid completely of humour.

"Oh yes," Rodney said, positioning himself between Michael and Carson again. "This is just like home – hard bed, cold running water, down the walls, at least, and the food is terrible. As for the host . ."

Michael took a step towards the scientist, a snarl on his face.

"And just what do you want with us?" Carson asked, intervening before things could get ugly.

"As yes," Michael replied. "I didn't tell you my plans, did I?"

"No, you didn't," Carson replied, forcing himself to meet the Wraith's gaze with a steady one of his own.

"Well, you see, Dr Beckett," Michael replied. "You left us with a problem. Your little experiment has caused us on-going side-effects."

"What's wrong, Michael?" Rodney asked, almost sneering. "Does nobody love you?" As soon as he said it, Rodney took a step back, realising that, yet again, his wayward tongue could get him into serious trouble.

"And you would know how that feels, Dr McKay," Michael responded, with a sneer of his own. "But back to your question, Dr Beckett," Michael said, turning back to the Scot. "All those injections you forced on us, they have altered us forever. We are no longer true Wraith."

"D'you mean the other Wraith won't accept you?" Carson asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"No, Doctor," Michael responded. "It is more basic than that. You have changed us on a more fundamental level. Our DNA is no longer that of a Wraith. We are more human than Wraith now."

"Even without the injections?" Carson asked.

"Yes, Doctor," Michael replied. "And that is why we have brought you here. We want you to reverse the process, to turn us back into Wraith, proper Wraith."

"I'm not sure if I can do that, lad," Carson replied, a frown now on his face. "If suppressing your Wraith characteristics has caused long-term side effects, then trying to suppress your human element could result in a catastrophic breakdown in your DNA. There's no telling what could happen."

"And we are willing to take that risk," Michael said, almost aggressively.

"What if I won't do it?" Carson asked. "What if I can't?"

"That's where Dr McKay comes in," Michael said, his gaze sliding to Rodney in a very unnerving manner.

"What have I got to do with it?" Rodney asked, panic in his voice. "I'm no good at all this voodoo stuff. Just ask Carson."

"That might be true," Michael agreed. "But I know from experience that Dr Beckett can be stubborn. But I want to see just how stubborn he will be when he sees his friend in pain, in agony, aging before his eyes. That is why you are here, Dr McKay."


	5. Persuasion

_**Thanks for all the reviews – it has been a great encouragement. Here's the next chapter, and I hope you enjoy it. There are a couple of minor spoilers for "Misbegotten"**_

oOoOoOo

John and Elizabeth stood together, not talking, just watching life on Atlantis continuing below them. The de-briefing hadn't lasted long. No-one wanted to linger on the details. And until the team who were currently examining the wreckage reported back, there was little they could do. They needed to know the cause of the crash before they could move on. They didn't know if it had been an accident, or if there had been deliberate intervention, and until they did, they couldn't do anything about it; they couldn't even grieve properly.

A worried looking Dr Biro approached them, examining the laptop she was carrying.

"Ah, there you are, Dr Weir," she said. "We have a problem."

John and Elizabeth exchanged a concerned look.

"What is the problem?" Elizabeth asked. "Have you been able to confirm that the bodies from the Jumper are Dr Beckett and Dr McKay?"

"That's where the problem lies," Dr Biro said, looking up at the two leaders for the first time. "I've got DNA samples for the bodies, but now I've nothing to compare them to."

"But I thought Carson had DNA samples from everyone on Atlantis," John said, looking puzzled now.

"He did," Dr Biro confirmed. "But they're missing."

"Missing?" Elizabeth repeated. "Have they been erased from the database?"

"Well, you see," the doctor explained. "Carson was concerned about personal details being on the public server, and so he kept all such details on a separate disk."

"And it's gone missing?" John asked.

"Yes," confirmed Dr Biro. "He kept it in the safe in his office. It's very secure, I think. But when I went to get it, to compare DNA samples, it was gone."

"But why would anyone steal it?" Elizabeth asked. "What use would it have to anyone?"

"There is other information on the disk that could be used maliciously," Dr Biro said, her tone anxious. "That is also why Carson was determined to keep it secure and private." Her tone told Elizabeth that the other woman felt she had betrayed her late boss's trust by allowing the disk to go missing.

"We seem to have a thief in our midst," John commented. "First the crystal in the sensor array and now this."

"And I am afraid that is not all," Radek said, joining them. "In the last few days, a number of people have reported that they have lost little things, not always vital, but useful."

"That's all we need," John said, an exasperated sign escaping from him. "A kleptomaniac in our midst. Want me to look into it?" he added to Elizabeth. She nodded her agreement.

"It's better that we don't let this become generally known, just yet," she looked at the other two as she said this. They both nodded. "We don't want accusations to start flying around."

She turned back to Dr Biro. "Is there another way of establishing DNA samples for Carson and Rodney?"

"Yes," the other woman confirmed. "I've already got my staff working on it. There are a number of ways to collect DNA samples. They are currently checking their rooms to see if they can find anything. I'll let you know as soon as I find out anything myself."

oOoOoOo

"Carson," Rodney said, breaking the silence that had fallen after Michael left.

"Yes, Rodney," the Scot replied.

"Would it really be dangerous to try and turn Michael back to a Wraith?"

"I just don't know," Carson admitted. "But I wouldn't like to do it without running a whole load of tests first. And to be honest with you, I'm not sure I'd be able to get off this bed at the moment, never mind run experiments."

Rodney stood there, anxiously chewing his finger. "Look, Carson," he said, after a moment. "I don't really want to point this out, but if you don't do something, I don't think Michael is planning to keep us alive for very long."

"And you think he will, if I do help him?" Carson asked.

"He didn't kill you the last time," Rodney pointed out.

Before the discussion could develop further, the door opened again. Michael was accompanied by two of the Wraith, except they weren't quite Wraith. Like Michael, their features were a strange mix of Wraith and human. Carson realised that he recognised them from his time among them on the planet.

"Merrick, Sadek," he said by way of acknowledgment. They just gazed back at him, the look in their eyes a mixture of hatred and anticipation.

"Now Dr Beckett," Michael said. "It is time for you to fulfil your part of the bargain."

"I didn't think we had a bargain," Carson said.

"Dr McKay is still alive, isn't he?" Michael said, looking over at Rodney, who tried to make himself look as inconspicuous as possible.

Carson swung his battered body round to face Michael, trying not to wince in the process

"Why don't you leave Rodney out of it," Carson said, his voice betraying his physical and emotional pain. "He has nothing to do with this. This is between you and me. I'll help you, but only if you let him go."

"That's not going to happen," Michael said, calmly. "I can't afford him telling your friends where we are."

"Then you might as well kill us both now," Carson said, equally as calmly. "Because the only way I'm going to help you is if you let Rodney go."

"Very well. Merrick . . ." Michael said, gesturing towards Rodney. The scientist let out a squeal and tried to hide behind the bed. The Wraith approached him, menacingly, slowly.

"OK, wait!" Carson said. "If that is the way you want to play it, I'll help you, as long as you leave Rodney alone."

"I thought you'd see reason, Dr Beckett. Remember, I know you well. Very well. I know your thought processes. You have a tender heart, Doctor. It makes you good at what you do, but it is your weakness. And I know how to exploit your weakness."

Carson turned away, unable to meet the Wraith's eyes. He felt vulnerable and exposed. And above all, he felt frustrated. Frustrated that, yet again, he was being forced to help Michael. Frustrated that there was so little he could do to protect either himself or Rodney. And deep down, he felt guilty. If he hadn't started off the experiment to turn a Wraith into a human; if he hadn't, in effect, created Michael as he now was, then none of this would have happened.

"Very well then, Dr Beckett," Michael said, a malicious grin on his face. "Now come with us. I have set up a laboratory for you."

With that, Merrick and Sadek reached for Carson. He couldn't prevent himself from flinching as they touched him. Michael noticed his reaction, and his grin widened.

As the two Wraith hauled Carson to his feet, he stumbled slightly and put his full weight on his broken leg. He let out a cry of pain, and struggled not to lose consciousness. His face drained of colour and the world started to swirl. He would have fallen if the Wraith hadn't been holding him upright.

"Can't you see he's injured," Rodney exclaimed, concern for his friend making him bold.

At a nod from Michael, the Wraith lowered Carson back onto the bed.

"Can't you do something to help him?" Rodney asked, concerned by the deathly pallor on his friend's face.

"The Wraith don't deal in medicine," Carson said, very quietly, struggling to speak through the nausea he was feeling. "It is either a case of healing themselves or dying."

Carson met Michael's eye, as the Wraith nodded his acknowledgment of the doctor's words.

"I hadn't realised just how seriously injured you were, Dr Beckett," Michael said, the tone of his voice devoid of feeling, devoid of concern. "If you are badly wounded, then you are of little use to us. There is, however, something I can do to help you."

As he spoke, Michael reached out towards Carson; his hand stretching out towards the Scot's chest. Carson tried not to flinch as he anticipated the agony of the Wraith's touch. He simply closed his eyes and waited, the echo of Rodney's cry of anguish for him, sounding in his ears.


	6. Lost and Found

_As a number of you predicted, there are slight spoilers here for "Common Ground"_

oOoOoOo

John was feeling very frustrated. His investigations into the recent thefts were getting no where. It seemed the more he found out, the less he knew. All he had really found out was that the thefts were more widespread than anyone had originally realised. Many of the items were small, inconsequential items, which their owner thought they had merely misplaced. But when you put it all together, it seemed to indicate that there was a kleptomaniac on the loose – and although that was better than a maniacal murderer, it was still very frustrating.

Ronon and Teyla were now helping him, but even with their efforts, they didn't seem to be making progress. John knew that Elizabeth had agreed to them carrying out this investigate to their minds off recent events.

Their team was incomplete, and not only were they dealing with the loss of two friends, they also had to deal with the fact they couldn't go off world until they found a replacement for Rodney. Neither John nor Elizabeth was in any hurry to do so. John felt it was somehow disloyal to Rodney to rush into appointing someone to take his place.

"How do you replace Rodney?" John muttered to himself, and then smiled, when he thought how Rodney would have reacted to the thought he was irreplaceable. He just couldn't get his mind round the fact that Rodney and Carson were dead. They had all been in danger so often since they had arrived in the Pegasus and had somehow come through it – often due to the efforts of Drs McKay and Beckett. That's what made it so unfair in John's eyes. He owed his life to these two – literally, and he couldn't conceive that he hadn't been able to save their lives.

In a part of his mind, a part that he tried to keep under control, he hoped that the bodies they found weren't those of the two doctors. He didn't want to let that thought take control. He didn't want to build his hopes up too much, but he found he couldn't say goodbye to his two friends, not a proper goodbye, until he knew for certain they were dead.

Still deep in thought, John hurried along the corridor. He was on his way to meet Teyla who had some information for him, which he hoped it would lead to some kind of breakthrough. After the events of the last few days, they badly needed some good news. John rounded the corner at a rush, and came into rather rapid contact with a small, but surprisingly solid body.

"Jinto!" John exclaimed, looking down at the Athosian boy, who was now sitting on the ground, a rather startled expression on his face.

"Sorry, Colonel," the boy said, jumping to his feet, ignoring the helping hand that John had offered him.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?" John asked.

"The Mess Hall," Jinto said, grinning. John grinned in return.

"Don't want to get in the way of a growing boy and his food," he replied to the boy, whose grin broadened.

"What are you doing here on Atlantis, anyway?" John asked, suddenly realising that the boy should have been at school on the mainland.

"Ah, Jinto," Teyla said, approaching from the opposite direction. "There you are."

"Shouldn't he be at school?" John asked her.

Teyla smiled, a wide smile that encompassed the boy as well as the man.

"Jinto is here, helping cross-cultural relations," she said.

"Yep," the boy replied. "I'm participating in a cross-cultural exchange to promote inter-racial harmony." John laughed, and wondered just where the boy got that quote from. His bet was Elizabeth. It sounded like her.

He glanced at Teyla, whose eyes were dancing too. "You have obviously been listening closely to Dr Weir," she said to the boy, confirming John's suspicions.

"Yeah," Jinto said, but it was obvious to both adults that the boy wanted to be elsewhere.

"He's going to the Mess Hall," John said to Teyla, by way of explanation.

"Ah," she replied, with an understanding smile. "Then we do not want to separate you from your meal."

"See ya," Jinto said, taking off at a run, eager to eat again.

"I think Jinto has been perhaps spending too long on Atlantis," Teyla said with an affectionate grin. "He is beginning to sound like he is from Earth."

"And that's a bad thing?" John asked, teasingly.

"Let us just say, that it is different," Teyla replied, ever the diplomat.

"Now," John said, getting down to business. "What have you discovered?"

"There have been thefts on the mainland too," Teyla said, a frown forming between her eyes. "I have spoken with Halling, and they seem to follow a very similar pattern those on Atlantis."

"When did they start?" John asked.

"About four weeks ago," Teyla replied. "And they have been no thefts in the last 3 days."

"Interesting," John said, thoughtfully. "They started on the mainland and seem to have moved here." He looked apologetically at Teyla, when he realised how that sounded.

"I agree," she said, with a rueful smile. "I am not blind to my people's faults," she continued. "But it is not quite as clear cut as it would appear."

He looked at her questioningly. "And . . .?" he asked.

"The thefts on the mainland started with the first stage of the cross-cultural exchanges," Teyla explained. "That involved people from Atlantis visiting the Athosian villages on the mainland."

"So, we're basically back at square one," John said, exasperation in his voice.

"I am afraid so," Teyla said, regret in her eyes.

"John," Elizabeth's voice sounded through the comm-link. "Could you meet me in the Infirmary, immediately?"

John and Teyla exchanged an anxious glance. John saw the flare of hope in Teyla's eyes, just before she extinguished it. It echoed his own feelings. Without a word, they both turned and headed to the Infirmary.

oOoOoOo

Rodney couldn't hold back his cry of anguish as Michael reached towards Carson's chest. It was an instinctive reaction, one he couldn't repress.

At the touch of the Wraith's hand, Carson flinched slightly, reacting as instinctively as Rodney. But then he steeled himself, bracing himself for the agony of a Wraith's touch.

When the touch came, it was surprisingly gentle, almost cleansing. Carson opened his eyes wide, in surprise. They showed a vivid blue against the pallor of his face. He looked up at Michael, almost questioningly as the Wraith shared his strength and healing with the healer.

When Michael removed his hand, Carson felt not only healed but invigorated.

"You see, Dr Beckett," Michael said, his tone condescending, and at odds with the moment they had just shared. "Perhaps you don't know as much about Wraith as you think you do."

Carson smiled gently. "You might be surprised, lad," Carson said, softly. "But I thought that particular gift was only shared with a brother."

Michael looked slightly shaken, then his eyes narrowed. "You still surprise me at times, Dr Beckett," he said. "Even though you shared your thoughts with me."

Carson flinched at the memory.

"But I only shared it with you because it suited me," Michael continued, his tone now back to its menacing best. "You serve a purpose, and you need to be fully well to do so."

"And what if I refuse?" Carson asked, standing so he was face to face with the Wraith. Michael snarled his contempt at this defiance. He twisted his hand, and Carson fell to his knees in agony.

Rodney jumped to his feet, and rushed towards his friend. One of the other Wraith, Rodney wasn't sure which, hit him with the back of his hand, sending the scientist crashing back into the wall.

"What is it with you humans?" Michael asked contemptuously. "You never know when you are beaten."

"Too right," Carson said, through gritted teeth. He glanced over at Rodney, worried about his friend. His eyes were closed, and there was blood pooling behind his head.

Carson wrenched himself away from Michael's mental hold on him. "Let me help him," he said, nodding towards Rodney. "If you want me to help you, you need to keep him alive. Otherwise, I won't help."

"Are all your race as stubborn as you, Dr Beckett?" Michael asked.

Carson's only answer was to meet the Wraith's stare with an unwavering gaze.

"Alright, tend him," the Wraith said, eventually, unwilling to let the silence continue any longer.

Carson moved quickly to Rodney's side, letting his professional persona mask the fear he was feeling. The confrontation had left him shaking, though he would never let Michael see that – he couldn't afford to. Not for his sake and certainly not for Rodney's sake.

He knelt by the lifeless body of his friend, automatically checking for his pulse. He let out a big sigh of relief when he felt the steady throb of a strong pulse at the scientist's neck. As if reacting to the familiar touch of the physician, Rodney started to regain consciousness, letting out a groan as the painfree existence of unconsciousness gave way to painful reality.

"Are you okay, Rodney?" Carson asked.

"You're the doctor," Rodney responded, weakly. "You tell me."

"He's okay," Carson said, more to himself than anyone else.

His relief however, only lasted for a moment, as the door to their prison burst open, and a Wraith came striding in. In his arms, he carried limp figure. It was a figure that was achingly familiar.

Carson let out a cry of anguish.


	7. Discoveries

When John and Teyla arrived at the Infirmary, they found a small group already there. Elizabeth stood at one side of the room, talking to Radek. She had the calm air of a diplomat, but her wringing hands betrayed her anxiety. The scientist didn't try to mask his tension. He was wiping the lenses of his glasses so vigorously; John felt he would soon wear a hole in them. Ronon stood in one corner, leaning casually against the wall. However, the strain showed around his eyes. Jeff Stanton sat across from where Elizabeth and Radek were standing. He was studying his feet with great concentration.

When Dr Biro entered the room, all eyes swung round to study her face, trying to read any signs that might indicate what she had discovered. She was studying the papers she held in her hands, and when she looked up and saw how many people there were in the small room, she looked surprised.

"I was only expecting Dr Weir and Major Sheppard," she said. John didn't have the heart to remind her of his promotion, and he didn't want to delay, any further, what she might have to say about her examinations.

"There were a number of people who wanted to know the results of your examinations," Elizabeth said, with an apologetic shrug.

As if reminded of the reason for the meeting, Dr Biro's eyes flew back to the papers she had been carrying.

"Oh, yes," she said, slightly distracted. "Yes, I need to tell you, don't I?"

John and Elizabeth exchanged a look of exasperation, tempered by anticipation.

"Well," the doctor continued. "I can tell you, quite categorically, that the bodies are not those of Dr McKay and Dr Beckett."

She didn't get much further as the room exploded in a sea of emotion. Relief was at the forefront.

"Thank God," Elizabeth said, collapsing back onto the seat behind her. Teyla and Ronon exchanged a relieved grin, and Radek just stood there, a big smile on his face.

"But where are they?" John asked, his brain getting passed the fact his weren't dead, as far as he knew. "If that isn't them, then where are they?"

"If you'd let me finish," Dr Biro said, rather sharply, "then I might be able to help there."

Yet again, she was the focus of all the attention.

"The bodies you recovered weren't Drs McKay and Beckett, but their DNA was on our database."

"Who were they, then?" Elizabeth asked. "There's no-one else missing from the city."

"We have other DNA on our records," Dr Biro said. "More specifically, Carson kept a record of the DNA of each of the Wraith who was involved in the experiment with Michael. It was two of them you brought back."

"We brought back Wraith?" Ronon growled.

"Yes," Dr Biro confirmed. "Although their DNA has mutated since it was last tested. There is more human content than there was."

"How did two Wraith get into one of our Jumpers?" Elizabeth asked. "Did they try to steal it?"

"I don't think so," John replied, thoughtfully. "The villagers confirmed that McKay and Beckett flew it away."

"So did the Wraith bring them down and then steal the Jumper?" Radek asked.

"The villager who saw the crash did not indicate that the Jumper had landed and then taken off again," Teyla pointed out.

"Michael," John said, suddenly. "He must be behind this. But why have they done to Carson and Rodney, and why go to all this trouble?"

"They want Carson to stop their genetic mutation," Jeff Stanton joined the discussion. "Dr Biro said their DNA was more human than before. Maybe Carson's experiments started some kind of chain reaction. Like your encounter with the retro-virus, Colonel Sheppard."

"Thanks for reminding me," John said laconically.

"If they are mutating in some way," Jeff continued, throwing a grin in John's direction. "Then they will want to stop it as quickly as possible. And they know they best person to do that is Carson."

"Why did they want Rodney as well?" Elizabeth asked. "They could've taken Carson when he was on his own."

"Leverage," Ronon said succinctly. "They'll use McKay to make Beckett do what they want."

"I think Ronon is correct," Teyla said with a sigh. "That would be consistent with their practices in other worlds."

"We've got to find them, and quickly," Elizabeth said.

"But where do we start?" Radek asked, polishing his glasses again.

"On that damned planet," John said, a note of steely determination in his voice. "I think those villagers have some explaining to do."

"Do you think they were in on it?" Elizabeth asked.

"You can't have a group of Wraith living on your planet and not notice," John said. "The dead, dried out bodies are a give away every time."

"Then I think it is time that we get some answers from them," Elizabeth said, her voice equally as determined as John's.

oOoOoOo

"Carson!" Rodney groaned as the Scot's cry echoed through his aching head. But as the doctor moved, Rodney saw the cause of the other man's distress. Hanging limply in the arms of the Wraith was the little girl who had given Carson a present before they had left in the Jumper.

Carson sprang towards the Wraith, and virtually dragged the child out of his arms. For a moment he was surprised by his own strength, but then his concern focused on Shela.

"What have you done to her? You great eejit!" the doctor said, worrying Rodney with his lack of fear.

The doctor laid the child on the bunk, and proceeded to gently examine her. All he found was a large lump on her skull, and abrasions on her hands and feet.

"I did nothing to her," the Wraith who had brought Shela in said, almost contemptuously. "I found her like that."

"Why did you bring her here?" Michael asked, an edge of anger in his voice. "It might lead others to us."

"I though if she woke up and started to wander, then she might bring others here even more quickly," the other Wraith said, challengingly.

"How do they ever manage not to kill each other?" Rodney thought to himself. He remained sitting in the corner where he had fallen as the world still felt a little unsteady to him.

"What is wrong with her?" Michael asked Carson. The doctor gave him a surprised look before answering.

"She's got a nasty bump on her head, which is why she's unconscious. She also has cuts and scrapes on her hands and feet. Was she near a tree?" the doctor asked the Wraith who had carried her in.

"Yes," the Wraith confirmed, too surprised not to answer.

"I think she probably fell out of the tree," Carson said, smiling down at the girl fondly. "She likes to climb, this little monkey."

"Well, this little monkey still has a very bad headache," Rodney said, acerbically, bringing his friend's attention back to him.

"Sorry, Rodney," Carson said, still not leaving the child. "But you're conscious and reasonably coherent. This little one is still not awake yet."

"Reasonably coherent!" Rodney said indignantly. "I'll have you know that I make more sense when I'm incoherent than most people make when they are perfectly coherent."

"I'll take your word for it, Rodney," Carson said, not taking his attention away from the child he was examining.

"Will the child recover?" Michael asked Carson.

"I think so," Carson replied, cautiously. "Given time, I think she should regain consciousness. There's no sign of internal bleeding. But she's cold as well and possibly dehydrated."

"Bring the doctor what he needs," Michael ordered the other Wraith.

"What!" Rodney said. "Is that a Wraith with a conscience?"

"You may sneer, Dr McKay," Michael responded. "But I have no desire to see the child die."

"Aye," Carson responded, "she needs to grow older so there is more energy for you to feed on."

Michael didn't respond, but the look he shot Carson spoke volumes. Rodney recoiled from the stare, even though it wasn't directed at him. Carson, however, just met the Wraith's gaze steadily, and without flinching.

Carson's lack of fear worried Rodney. It reminded him a little too much of Ford, Ford with the enzyme dependency. Just what had Michael done to the Scot when he healed him?


	8. CrystalClear Pain

As soon as they arrived on the planet, John realised that there was something wrong. The people were running around, like headless chickens, whatever they looked like. Their faces also showed signs of stress and worry.

Silis approached them at a run, his face streaked with lines of concern and his body displayed all the tension of severe stress.

"What are you doing here?" he asked them, sharply. "Have you come to help us?"

"We were hoping you could help us," John said.

"We haven't got time for that," Silis said sharply. "Shela is missing and there are monsters in the forest. We can't help you find out why your doctors were stupid enough to crash your ship."

Ronon growled, and took a step towards the much smaller man. Teyla put a hand on his chest to stop him. But he continued to glower at Silis.

Taking a step back, the leader seemed to suddenly realise he had been more unhelpful than he really intended.

"I'm sorry, Colonel Sheppard," he said, his tone more conciliatory. "It's just that we are concerned about our safety and especially about Shela. I'm sorry I sounded harsh."

"That's okay," John said. "And I think we might be able to help each other, here. Can you describe these 'monsters' to us?"

"Well," Silis said with a frown. "All we know is what Shela told her mother. And her mother is not very coherent at the moment. But it seems they are tall, and thin with long white hair, and strange faces."

"Sounds familiar," John drawled.

"You know of these monsters?" Silis asked, fear mixed with awe in his voice.

"We've encountered them a few times," John confirmed, trying to keep his tone non-committal.

"What would they want with Shela?" Silis asked.

John glanced round at Teyla, unsure how to answer the question.

"It depends," he responded. "But we are probably looking for the same people. We think they may have our men too."

"But I thought they were dead?" Silis said, momentarily distracted from the problem he was facing.

"No," John responded. "The bodies weren't of the doctors. They were Wraith. That's what we call the 'monsters'," he added as he saw the other man's confusion over the name. "And we think they took the McKay and Beckett as their prisoners."

"So we are looking for the same people?" Silis asked. "Then you will help us?"

John turned and looked at the others before he nodded his agreement.

oOoOoOo

Rodney felt uneasy. Carson was tending Shela with a great deal of tender care, but there was something frenetic about his actions. Although Carson often moved quickly when there was a medical emergency, there as always something measured about his actions. But not now. Not since Michael had healed him.

Also, hiding at the back of his mind was the thought that Michael hadn't followed through on his threat to force Carson to de-humanise them. He wondered just what surprises the Wraith had up his sleeve for them in that regard.

As if summoned by his thoughts, the door of their prison opened, and Michael walked in.

"How is your patient, Dr Beckett?" he asked, not really seeming to care about the answer.

"She's doing well," Carson confirmed, smiling down at the still unconscious girl. "All her vitals are strong, and I don't think it'll be too long before the wee lass is awake and talking to us all."

"Oh great," Rodney said. "That's all we need. A lively nine-year old."

"She's only eight," Carson corrected.

"And that makes all the difference, of course," Rodney responded sardonically.

Michael eyed the two men, seeming to enjoy the banter. It made Rodney wonder just how human he'd become.

"As your patient is recovering, Dr Beckett," Michael continued, as if the interruption hadn't taken place. "You will now have time to do what I brought you here to do."

"And what makes you think I am prepared to help you?" Carson said, standing and turning to face the Wraith.

Rodney took a deep breath. A brave Carson wasn't always a good thing. He preferred a cautious Carson, even a cowardly Carson. A brave Carson could be detrimental to not only his own health, but, more importantly, to Rodney's too.

"I thought we'd been through this already," Michael said, a snarl in his voice. "If you don't help us, then Dr McKay will suffer, and you will watch."

"Is that the best you can do?" Carson asked, scornfully, causing Rodney to almost choke.

"Carson!" he said, his voice frantic. "This is my life you're talking about. What would you do if I wasn't around to save your ungrateful hide all the time?"

"I'd probably live to a grand old age, Rodney," Carson replied. "And with a few less grey hairs."

Rodney felt hurt and more than slightly resentful. But then he glanced at the Scot and saw the look in his friend's eyes. He realised Carson was saying these things for Michael's benefit.

"And talking of grey hairs, Dr Beckett," Michael said. "It will be Dr McKay who will acquire a few if you don't help me."

"And what if I do help you?" Carson asked. "What then? You'll just let us go? I don't think so. You'll turn back into Wraith and then turn your life-sucking hands on us, and kill us anyway. So why should I help you?"

"Carson!" Rodney said again. "Are you trying to get us both killed?"

Michael strode over to the door, and threw it open with a crash. "Come here!" he snarled at those on the other side of the doorway.

The two Wraith who came in were of the warrior class. They were large, and faceless, but just as intimidating as any other Wraith Rodney had ever seen.

"Now Dr Beckett," Michael said, turning swiftly on the Scot. "Let's just see how brave you really are?" The smile on Michael's face didn't bode well for anyone. The Wraith reached out his hand, but this time it did not reach towards the doctor's chest; it reached towards his head.

"I have invaded your brain once before, Beckett," Michael continued. "And I can easily do it again."

Carson let out a cry of agony, and clutched his head, while sinking to his knees.

"I will let you re-live your worst nightmare again and again. You will watch Dr McKay die slowly, over and over again, knowing you could save him. And when I come back, maybe then you will be ready to help me, or else your nightmare may become a reality.

oOoOoOo

John was pacing around in front of the Stargate. They had decided to come back through the Gate and get together a larger team to help search the planet for Rodney, Carson and now Shela. But he was feeling impatient. He just wanted to get on with it. He didn't like the thought of what Michael might do to the two doctors. They were vulnerable, especially Carson, and he felt responsible for them. He needed to do something, anything. Action was always better than inactivity.

The last of the team joined the others, and John turned up towards the control room where Elizabeth and Radek were standing. He nodded towards them, and heard Elizabeth's order to dial the Gate. He waited, watching the Gate, waiting for the familiar curtain of water to appear. Nothing happened. He glanced up at Elizabeth, who was frowning.

"Elizabeth?" he said.

"We are having a problem establishing the connection," she replied, sounding distracted.

John climbed the stairs, two at a time. He reached them just as Elizabeth turned back to face him. Her frown had now deepened and she looked seriously worried.

"What's the problem?" John asked.

"One of the crystals is missing," Radek answered.

"Can't you just by-pass it or something?" John asked, not really sure what the crystals actually did.

"This is the main crystal that operates the Stargate," Radek explained, a frown of concentration on his face. "Without it, we cannot establish a connection. But it is worse," he added. "Even if there is an incoming wormhole, we cannot be sure that the wormhole will be stable. And we cannot raise the shield."

"How could someone steal the crystal?" Teyla asked, as she and Ronon joined the others.

"There's always plenty people around here," Ronon pointed out.

"Has there been anyone who's not authorised hanging around?" John asked Radek.

"No-one," Radek answered straight away. "Well," he amended. "No-one other than Jinto and he was here by permission."

"I think I'll need to have a word with that boy," Sheppard said, a determined note in his voice. "I don't want to leave Rodney and Carson in Michael's hands any longer than I have to. I don't want to have to recover bodies."


	9. Questions and Choices

After Michael left, Rodney crawled over to where Carson lay hunched on the floor. The physician's eyes were tightly shut and his eyelashes lay like dark crescents on his pale face. Rodney put a gentle hand on Carson's shoulder, offering what comfort he could, but the other man flinched away from his touch.

Although Carson appeared to be sleeping, it was not a restful sleep. He was restless, flinching from imagined blows, and from behind his tightly shut eyes, tears seeped through and rolled slowly and sadly down his cheeks.

Rodney tried to wake him, unable to sit there and let his friend go through this without trying to help. But every time the scientist tried to intervene, it just seemed to make things worse for Carson. In the end, all Rodney could do was put one of the hard pillows under Carson's head and drape one of the rough blankets over his body. He then sat back and watched as his friend went through a sleeping hell.

The nightmare continued for what seemed like hours. Occasionally, Rodney's head would fall to his chest as sleep threatened to overcome him. But the distressed noises coming from Carson always woke him up again. He felt so helpless in the face of his friend's suffering. But, for once, there was nothing Rodney could actually do.

He wasn't sure how long he had been sitting there, guarding Carson. His legs were now numb and didn't feel as if they belonged to his body. His back was sore from sitting in an awkward position. But despite the physical discomfort, he didn't want to move, he didn't want to leave Carson, not even for a moment.

His concentration was so focussed on Carson, that Rodney didn't notice her move. So when Shela's small hand slipped into his, he almost jumped out of his skin.

"Don't do that," he said sharply to the little girl. As he looked down at her, her big eyes filled with tears. "Oh, look, I'm sorry," he continued. "You gave me a fright, okay. Not a good idea. Oh, please don't cry. I don't do tears."

Shela snuffled slightly, then rubbed her face with her sleeve.

"Why is Dr Carson crying?" she asked, watching at Carson with a puzzled look on her face. "Did you say something nasty to him too?"

"Of course not," Rodney replied.

"Then who made him sad?" Shela asked. "Was it that man with the funny eyes?"

"Yes, it was," Rodney replied, hoping she wouldn't ask any more questions. He didn't know how to deal with children and their questions. They frightened him more than even the Wraith did.

Thankfully, for Rodney's sanity, she remained silent. Instead, she curled up beside Carson, and started to stroke his hair, just as she might do with a dog, or a cat. It seemed to soothe him, and his muttering and even his tears seemed to lessen.

But then, just as Rodney started to relax slightly, the door burst open, and two Wraith strode in. One grabbed Carson, dragging him to his feet, and the other grabbed Rodney. Shela sat there, in stunned silence as the two men were bundled out the prison cell, and the door thudded solidly behind them.

oOoOoOo

As they searched for Jinto, John went over in his mind the evidence they had against the Athosian boy. It was evidence that John wasn't happy to find. Jinto had been one of his first friends in the Pegasus Galaxy. He had accepted John in a way that the adults hadn't. They had learned to be wary of strangers, but Jinto still had the openness and acceptance you found in those not bowed down by life's experience.

But the evidence was there. The fact the thefts had started on the mainland didn't immediately point to an Athosian, but it did limit the number of those from Earth who could be considered suspects. Only 20 people from Atlantis had been on the mainland at the time. When the thefts had continued in Atlantis, it had narrowed the search down to the 20 Lanteans and their Athosian counterparts; a group of 20 youngsters who were now on Atlantis to encourage the cross-cultural ties.

The problem for Jinto was that he seemed to have been in the vicinity of a number of the thefts. This fact had only come to light after they had discovered that the control crystal for the 'Gate was missing. As they put their ideas together, they found that Jinto had been around when at least 4 of the thefts had taken place.

So it was with a heavy heart that John went in search of his young Athosian friend. In many ways, he wished that it would prove impossible to find the boy. But in the relatively limited confines of Atlantis, and with the technology at their disposal, John knew it would only be a matter of time before the lad was found.

And sure enough, John eventually caught up with Jinto in the Mess Hall. The boy was sitting eating with a group of other boys about the same age, all wearing Athosian clothing. As John approached, with Ronon on one side, Teyla on the other, he watched the boy carefully, to see if he betrayed any signs of guilt.

The boys were chattering away, the volume rising as they became more animated. But then Jinto caught sight of the three adults approaching. His face fell, and a swift look of fear appeared in his eyes.

"Damn," thought John, when he saw the look. "Maybe he is guilty after all." The colonel had been hoping that the evidence that suggested Jinto had been pointing them in the wrong direction. But the look on the boy's face tended to suggest they were on the right track.

However, as John widened his gaze to take in the whole group, he realised that all the boys had a very similar look on their faces. He realised that, to their adolescent eyes, the three adults must have made a pretty intimidating group.

John was the military leader on Atlantis, and he knew that title like that was impressive to teenage boys. Teyla was the leader of her people, and as such the boys would all look up to her and respect her. And as for Ronon, well he intimidated John at times, and he had caused a grown man to faint with fear, if you could call Kavanagh a grown man.

"Jinto," John said as they approached. "Could we have a word?"

The boy looked anxiously from one adult to another, then nodded. He approached them, leaving the security of his friends.

"Jinto," Teyla said, her voice gentle. "We need your help. One of the crystals in the control room has gone missing. We believe you were working there today?"

The boy nodded, almost as if he was afraid to talk in case he said too much.

"We know that you are very observant," Teyla continued, earning a snort from the straightforward Ronon. "And we were wondering if you saw anything."

Jinto looked awkward for a moment, his eyes on the ground, then looking anywhere other than at the adults.

"I did not see anything unusual," he said at last, not convincing any of them.

But before John could take matters further, he heard Elizabeth's voice through the comm-link.

"John," her voice sounded in his ear. "We've found the crystal, and we've managed to establish a wormhole to the planet again." Her voice was infused with relief tinged with anxiety.

"We're on our way," he replied, nodding at Teyla and Ronon.

"You, young man," he said, turning back to Jinto. "Don't move too far from here. I still want a word with you, later."

Jinto looked at him, with wide eyes, and then nodded.

oOoOoOo

Rodney lost track of where they were being taken. All the corridors looked the same. They could be going round in circles for all he knew.

Carson would be no help, either. The Scot was still trapped in the horrendous, nightmare-world that Michael had created in his mind. He would flinch every so often, as if physical blows were connecting with his body. His moans chilled Rodney's blood as they were filled with despair and pain. Occasionally, a tear would fall from the tightly shut eyes of the physician.

Normally, Rodney thought of sleep as a blessed, if infrequent, relief. But for Carson, this sleep was anything but relief. It was as if all his worst nightmares were rolled into one intense experience.

Also at the back of Rodney's mind, though he wouldn't admit it to anyone, was anxiety about Shela. The child had looked so defenceless, sitting there in the prison, left alone. Rodney didn't like to think of the child at the mercy of the life-sucking tendencies of their captors.

Before Rodney could dwell on this further, they obviously reached their destination. The two Wraith stopped in front of a very solid door, and then knocked. Rodney had to stop himself from laughing. There was something incredibly incongruous about Wraith knocking on a door. But he managed to keep his slightly hysterical giggle to himself.

The door swung open, and Michael stood in the doorway, framed by a brilliant light. The light seemed to seep through his body, giving him an almost translucent quality.

"Bring our guests in," he ordered the Wraith.

The room Rodney found himself in was very like Carson's lab back in Atlantis. Whether consciously or not, Michael had re-created somewhere very familiar for Carson to work in.

The Wraith who had been holding Rodney, dragged the scientist over to a bench in the corner and virtually threw him onto it.

"Thanks for nothing," Rodney muttered to himself. His words were obviously loud enough for the Wraith to hear as he turned towards Rodney and hissed at him.

Michael didn't notice any of this little by-play. His attention was focussed solely on Carson. He approached the doctor, examining him as if he were a lab rat taking part in an experiment. With a wave of his hand, he ordered the Wraith holding Carson to release him.

Carson seemed to have been roused from his stupor. His eyes were open, and although he wasn't exactly alert, he at least seemed to be taking in something of his surroundings.

"Well, Dr Beckett," he said, using Carson's name almost like a curse. "How did you enjoy your little nightmare? It only seemed fair since I've been living my own nightmare since you conducted your experiment on me. I wanted to share a little of the pain you have inflicted on me. And now, your pain will become a reality."

The Wraith took Carson's face between his hands, forcing the doctor to look directly into his eyes. "You know what I want from you, Dr Beckett. And you know the consequences if you don't do what I want. The choice is yours. Either you turn us back into Wraith, proper Wraith, not some hybrid you created. Or else, your nightmare will come to life in glorious and vivid detail. Your little friend over there," he continued, motioning to Rodney, "will suffer for each of your failures. Each time you are unsuccessful, it will cost him another decade of his life. And with him, I will not be so generous with our gift of life. Now it is up to you. You can make the choice of whether he lives or whether he dies a slow and agonizing death."


	10. Confrontations

As soon as they arrived on the planet, John was very aware of the differences from any of their other visits. The most obvious difference was the lack of a welcoming committee. In fact, there was a distinct lack of anyone. This worried John more than anything else. He glanced at Teyla, and the worried frown on her face told him she was anxious too.

An eerie silence seemed to engulf the village as they approached it, making John search the undergrowth for bodies. He couldn't help but wonder if Michael and his friends had gotten hungry and decided to feed. He glanced at Ronon, and could tell by the tension in the former Runner's body, that he had the same thought.

Unable to cope with the silence any longer, John raised his voice.

"Is anyone home?" he called out. At first there was no reaction, and then slowly, a door to one of the neighbouring houses opened. An old woman could be seen through the crack of the door.

"What do you want?" she demanded, her voice rusty with age.

"We were wondering where everyone was?" John said, taking a step towards the woman.

"Oh," said the woman, when she realised who they were. "You decided to come back then? Silis thought you'd deserted us."

"We had a problem that needed to be solved before we could return," Teyla said, stepping in when she realised that John was floundering slightly as to what to reply. He threw her a grateful glance.

"Well," the old woman responded. "Silis and the others decided they couldn't wait for you, and they've gone to find Shela themselves."

"So that's where everyone is," John commented.

"And he told the rest of us to stay in our houses, and not come out for anyone."

"Then we are very glad you agreed to speak to us," Teyla responded to the old woman, who looked pleased by the compliment.

"Where did they go?" John asked.

"Into the forest," the woman responded. "Where Shela saw the monsters."

"Can you take us there?" Ronon asked.

"Silis said we were not to leave our houses," the woman said, a note of determination in her voice.

"I'll take them," said a young voice from behind the woman. A young boy, about 13 years old, appeared from behind her.

"Now Stanis," the woman said. "You know what Silis said. And think of your poor mother. She's already lost Shela, and you saw what state she was in then. She'd not be able to cope with loosing you too."

"I'll make sure he's not hurt," Ronon said, taking a step toward the boy. The woman took a step back, but the boy looked pleased. He gazed up at the big man, with a look of adoration on his face.

"Oh boy," John said under his breath.

"You can take us to this place?" Teyla asked.

"Yep," Stanis agreed. "I was the one who took Shela there, first," he said.

"Great," John said, with a false enthusiasm. The last thing he wanted was to have a young boy to look after.

"Follow me," the boy continued, setting off, confidently, towards the forest.

oOoOoOo

As Rodney watched, Carson worked frenetically, muttering to himself the whole time. The scientist had offered to help, but Carson had just waved him away again, and continued to gaze into the microscope.

It worried Rodney to see Carson like this. It was not the medic's usual work pattern at all. He was normally slow and methodical, in contrast to Rodney's own style of inspired rapidity. Rodney remembered a conversation they'd had only a few weeks earlier.

They'd been in Carson's lab on Atlantis, and Rodney was getting frustrated at the speed at which Carson was working – or the lack of speed.

"Carson," Rodney had said. "Do you think you could hurry up abit. Radek is likely to die of old age before you find out what's wrong with him."

"Rodney," Carson had replied, with exaggerated patience. "As you keep reminding me, medicine is not always an exact science. If you make a mistake, what's the worst that can happen? You destroy a universe, right?"

"Five-eighths," Rodney had corrected automatically. "And it was uninhabited."

"Exactly," Carson had replied. "But if I make a mistake, people can die. And so I like to be as careful as possible."

Now, Carson seemed to be working at break-neck speed.

"Carson," Rodney said. "Will you slow down? If you make a mistake, Michael is going to send us on a one-way ticket to rapid old age."

"Aye, Rodney," Carson replied. "I know that."

"And just what do you think you're doing?" Rodney asked sharply, as Carson took out a needle.

"I need some human blood to work with," Carson replied, approaching the scientist with a determined stride.

"And you expect me to donate some?" Rodney asked, eyeing the needle suspiciously.

"Well, Rodney," Carson replied. "You're the nearest thing I've got to a human around here."

"Oh, very funny," Rodney replied, just as Carson found a vein and slipped the needle in. Although Rodney would never admit it, Carson did have a very light touch when it came to needles.

Just at the moment the needle sank into Rodney's vein, the door opened, and Michael came in, accompanied by Shela.

"Ouch," the scientist exclaimed, as the needle moved slightly as he turned to see who had come in. "Will you be more careful, Carson, if you must practise you voodoo medicine on me."

Michael snorted at the comment, obviously pleased to see his prisoners arguing.

"If you can keep from killing each other, look after this child," the Wraith ordered. "She was crying; it was annoying."

He then pushed the girl towards the two men. Carson had managed to extract the needle from Rodney's arm, and the scientist managed to stop the little girl's forward momentum before she inadvertently destroyed all of Carson's research to date.

"How is your research going, Dr Beckett?" the Wraith asked, giving Carson a penetrating stare out of his piercing eyes.

"It's slow progress," the doctor admitted. "That's why I needed some blood from Rodney, to help with isolating the human element of the DNA from the Wraith."

"I don't really care about the details, Doctor," Michael said, dismissively. "But if you've not got something concrete for me by this evening, then I'm afraid Dr McKay is going to have to lose a few years of his life."

"Look," Carson said, forcefully, taking a step towards Michael. "This is not something you can rush. If I get even one wee calculation wrong, it could kill you."

"Then you'd better not get any calculations wrong. Or you will all die with us," Michael replied, including the little girl in his stare.

"What has the wee lass got to do with it?" Carson asked, still standing directly in front of the Wraith. "Why don't you just let her go?"

Before Michael could answer, the door to the lab burst open, and Merrick came in.

"We have people approaching the clearing," he said, addressing Michael.

"How many?" Michael asked, sharply.

"About 50," the other Wraith replied. "And they are armed, with primitive weapons."

Michael whirled round and took a step toward Shela.

"Did you lead them here?" he demanded from the child.

She looked at him, her eyes wide with fear, and her thumb crept up to her mouth. At any other time, Carson would have found it amusing, that children, even in a different galaxy, found comfort in sucking their thumb. But instead, he took a step forward, between Michael and the child.

"How the bloody hell is she supposed to have led them here?" he demanded, causing Rodney to put a restraining hand on his friend's arm. Carson just shook it off, and took a step closer to Michael.

"The wee girl was unconscious when you found her, right? So how the hell was she supposed to have led the others here?" he demanded further.

"Carson," Rodney said, a note of warning in his voice.

Michael gave Carson a narrowed-eyed stare, and then turned to Merrick. "Take the child, and use her as bait, or as a shield, whatever you need her for."

As Merrick came over to get the girl, Carson stepped in front of him, acting as a human barrier. The Wraith snarled at him, then raised his hand and gave the doctor a back-handed swipe. Carson went flying across the room, knocking some of his experiments flying as he did so. He came to rest against the wall, his eyes shut and his head at an awkward angle.

Merrick snarled again, in Rodney's direction, who took a step back, then picked up the child, and let the room, with her under his arm.


	11. Found Them

_Sorry for the delay folks – I've been ill since the weekend. But now that my head finally doesn't feel like it's about to explode, I've been able to write again, which is nice. Enjoy!_

They made unexpectedly quick progress through the forest, as Stanis led them towards their goal. John was surprised at how quickly and quietly the boy moved. He gave Ronon a run for his money as far as that was concerned.

The boy kept looking up at the Runner, looking for approval, for confirmation that he was doing well. Ronon didn't seem to notice this, at first, but as the boy continued to shoot anxious glances at him, the big man gave the boy a smile of approval. The boy's face split into a grin of pleasure, and he seemed to increase his speed.

As the approached their destination, it became very obvious that the villagers hadn't adopted their quickly and quietly approach. It was very obvious where the group were, and it wasn't all that far ahead of Sheppard and his group.

"So much for not announcing their arrival," Sheppard said, earning a snort from Ronon.

The group approached the clearing where the villagers were gathered. It was obvious that Silis' control over their makeshift army was minimal. The villagers were milling around, gathering in small groups, arguing with each other.

John and Ronon exchanged a glance of exasperation.

Before they could do anything, there was a rustling sound in the trees off to their left. The sound was too soft for the most of the villagers to hear it over the sound of their arguing. However, the sight that appeared through the trees drew all eyes. It was the first time the villagers had ever seen a Wraith. Their eyes showed their horror, coming face to face with their worst nightmare. And to make it worse, this creature held Shela in its arms.

John wasn't sure, but he thought he recognised the Wraith. If he wasn't mistaken, it was one of the Wraith involved in Carson's experiment. If he was here, hopefully Carson and Rodney would be near by.

oOoOoOo

Everything had happened so quickly that Rodney hadn't had time to move. He stood looking after Shela, then turning and looking at Carson's crumpled form. He knew he should really go after the child, protect her from the Wraith. But his real loyalty lay with his friend, and he moved instinctively towards Carson.

However, by the time his indecision had ended, Rodney found that Michael had beaten him to it. The Wraith stood over Carson, an almost triumphant look on his face.

"Okay," Rodney said, trying to stop his voice from shaking. "Dead doctor here," he continued. "If you don't do something to help him, all that research he'd down will be useless. And don't expect me to carry on his work. All the voodoo stuff is gibberish to me."

Michael turned to look at the scientist, giving him that condescending stare the Wraith seemed to have perfected over the years. He then turned back to Carson, reaching down to the doctor's chest. With the first touch, Carson's eyes flew open, a vivid blue. But it was a lifeless blue too. There was no spark there, no essence of character that made Carson uniquely himself.

Gradually, as Rodney watched, caught between revulsion and fascination, Carson's eyes showed his return to life. Those eyes softened and then lit up with hatred mixed with fear. It was obvious that Carson did not like the fact he owed his life to the Wraith.

However, as full cognizance returned to Carson's eyes, anger replaced the other emotions.

"Where's Shela?" he asked, sending an accusatory look in Michael's direction.

"Dying obviously isn't good for the memory," Rodney thought, distractedly.

The Scot's demand was met by silence. He looked at the two in front of him. Michael's look was one of amused triumph. Rodney looked guilty.

"Rodney?" the Scot prompted.

"That Wraith, the one from the planet," Rodney began.

"Merrick," Carson prompted.

"Yes, that one," Rodney continued. "He took her out, under his arm. I couldn't stop him," he added defensively.

"You bastard!" Carson cried, rushing at Michael.

"Don't you remember what happened the last time you tried that, Dr Beckett?" Michael said tauntingly.

Carson stopped in his tracks, a hint of a memory returning. He turned round to look at the wall, the one against which he had crashed. He saw the traces of blood smeared there. His blood. Distractedly, he lifted his hand to his head, to the place where the wound had been. He felt nothing. No cut, no scar, no pain.

"You're going to pay for this, Michael," he promised the Wraith.

"I think you might be the one to pay the price, Dr Beckett," Michael said, his superior tone really getting on Rodney's nerves now. "You don't cheat death without repercussions," the Wraith added, ominously.

"What do you mean?" Rodney asked, thinking not just of Carson, but also of John.

"That would be one too many secrets to reveal," Michael replied, cryptically. With that remark, the Wraith turned, and left the room before either man could recover his composure enough to respond.

"What do you think he meant?" Rodney asked the physician.

"I wish I knew," Carson replied, a troubled look in his eyes.

oOoOoOo

John surveyed the area, his mind working quickly to see if he could work out where the Wraith had come from. Before his eyes could find some opening, Ronon nudged him, and then nodded towards the trees behind the Wraith. John then saw what the Satedan's sharp eyes had noted. Hidden behind the trees, very well camouflaged, was a wooden door. Teyla had followed their eyes, and she too noted the door.

"We need a diversion," John whispered to the others. But before anyone could act, they heard Silis' voice rise above the chaotic voices of the villagers.

"Just who are you?" he challenged the Wraith.

"That is unimportant," Merrick replied. "You are to leave here, now."

"Not without the girl," another of the villagers replied.

"If you leave now, the girl lives," Merrick replied.

"Yes, right," John muttered under his breath.

"And if we don't go?" Silis asked.

"Then she dies, here and now, in front of you," Merrick said, a certain note of relish in his voice.

Before John or the others could react, Stanis leapt forward.

"No!" he cried as he ran towards the Wraith and his sister. "Put her down you great big bully. Put her down and pick on someone your own size."

"I think we have our diversion," Teyla whispered.

John nodded, and turned to Ronon to check on his readiness to slip into the Wraith's hideaway. However, the other man wasn't there. With his usual speed and stealth, the Satedan had moved towards the Wraith, until he stood protectively over the boy.

"Yes," he commented, in response to Stanis' last remark. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?"

"Great!" John muttered sarcastically. "Sometimes I think he should have come fitted with a leash." Teyla looked at him quizzically.

"Never mind," he continued, in response to her unasked question. "Come on, let's get in there."

"What about Ronon?" Teyla asked.

"I think he's got just about enough help," John responded, nodding in the direction of their team-mate. Sure enough, ranged behind Ronon, in his confrontation with the Wraith, were all the villagers.

"Anyway," John replied. "He's a big boy, and he can look after himself."

"And Rodney and Carson cannot?" Teyla asked, as they slipped in the door.

As if in response to her question, their entrance into the Wraith's hiding place was greeted with a cry of anguish. It was a cry that they both recognised. It was the sound of Dr Rodney McKay in pain.


	12. Control

_Sorry for the delay my friends. Real life has been rather hectic of late. Hope you enjoy this next chapter._

oOoOoOo

Elizabeth sat in her office, gazing vacantly into space; fiddling with a pen that she was holding idly.

It was one of the areas of her work that she hated, the waiting around. As a diplomat, she had had to learn patience. It was one of the greatest skills. But then it was only issues that were involved. There weren't lives at stake. She couldn't get her mind away from what her people, her friends, were going through.

She didn't know what was happening to Carson and Rodney. That hurt her. She couldn't bear to think what Carson, in particular, might be going through at the hands of Michael. The doctor had an inherently gentle nature, and that he might be hurting physically or emotionally wounded Elizabeth.

Rodney too, was not as strong as say John, or Ronon, or even Teyla. But even with them, she was very aware of how vulnerable they could be. And every time they went through the 'Gate, she was aware they might not return.

Before her thoughts could become even more maudlin, she heard a sound at her door. She looked up to see Radek there. He looked apologetic as he entered her office, properly.

"I'm sorry, Dr Weir," he said, wringing his hands as he spoke. "I didn't mean to interrupt you."

"No problem, Radek," she said, forcing a smile onto her face. "Please, take a seat."

Radek sat down, but the frown on his face didn't fade.

"What's the problem, Radek?" she prompted him.

"You know the things that have been going missing," Radek started. Elizabeth nodded. "Well, I have been investigating it further."

Radek hesitated for a moment, obviously not sure if he wanted to go on further.

"I have tried to find the solution," he said. "But there seems only to be one person who has been there on each occasion."

"Who is that?" Elizabeth asked, though from the look on Radek's face, she felt she would not like the answer.

"Jinto," he said, reluctantly.

Elizabeth closed her eyes, and then sighed.

"I'm sorry," Radek said, his face showing his discomfort.

"It's not your fault, Radek" Elizabeth reassured him. "It is just this makes things rather awkward. Halling is on a trading mission, and Teyla is also away, and to suddenly accuse the boy of stealing, well . . ."

"I do not accuse him lightly," Radek said. "The evidence is overwhelming."

"It just seems so unlikely," Elizabeth said with a frown. "He has always got into mischief, but nothing serious, like this."

"What is that saying of Sherlock Holmes?" Radek asked, thoughtfully. "When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."

Elizabeth looked at him, her eyebrows raised in surprise.

"I liked detective novels as a young man," Radek said by way of explanation. "But what I was trying to say is the only possible answer to the stealing question is young Jinto."

"Well," Elizabeth said, getting to her feet. "We'd better go and see what 'young Jinto' has to say for himself."

oOoOoOo

As John and Teyla made their way towards the sound of Rodney's cry, they realized just how many Wraith there were in the complex. They were constantly having to halt their progress to find a hiding place, as yet more Wraith seemed to be intent on some business or other.

"Can you sense what they're thinking?" John whispered to Teyla.

She shook her head, a frown forming between her eyes. "It is strange," she replied. "I can sense something, but it is not clear. They are not like any other Wraith I have encountered before."

"In what way?" John asked, curious.

"They are more individual, more human," she said.

"Seems to confirm what Stanton suggested," John replied. "Damn, that is going to make them mad as hell."

"Mad enough to kill Rodney?" Teyla asked, remembering the cry they'd heard.

"Or maybe Carson," John said, his eyes troubled. "Come on," he continued. "We've got to find them."

oOoOoOo

Although Ronon's focus appeared to be on the Wraith in front of him, he noticed, out of the corner of his eye, that Sheppard and Teyla had managed to escape into the complex. He smiled inwardly, as he thought of what damage they could inflict on the Wraith this time. Unlike Carson, he had no qualms about destroying their enemy. He had seen how evil the Wraith were. His insight had come from his far too frequent encounters with these creatures, and a far too intimate knowledge of the suffering they could cause.

Turning to face the Wraith, Ronon gave his full attention to the scene in front of him. The tall, white-haired figure held the little girl effortlessly under his arm. The child was silent but the tear tracks that streaked her face were testament to her earlier fear. Her brother stood before the Wraith, half the height of his foe, but just as fearless.

"Leave her alone, you big galoot," the boy said, hitting the Wraith's chest as he did so.

Ronon hid a smile. That sounded like something Carson might say. The big man's smile faded as he thought of the doctor, and what he might be going through at the hands of the Wraith they had called Michael. Ronon had never been in favour of having anything to do with the Wraith. The only good Wraith was a dead one as far as he was concerned. And he never fully understood what benefit Beckett and Weir had thought they might gain from their little experiment. All Ronon could see was possibilities for disaster, and, unfortunately, he had been proven right.

The Wraith reached down to the boy, and seemed to be going to feed. Ronon jumped forward, and stabbed the Wraith's hand with one of the many knives he hid around his person. The Wraith's focus switched from the boy to the man, and a snarl escaped his lips.

He dropped the girl to the ground, swiped the boy out of the way, and lunged at the man. Ronon swiftly side-stepped the Wraith, and plunged his knife into the creature's back. Before the Wraith could get to his feet, about 10 of the villagers all pounced on him. One of the others grabbed Shela and Ronon picked up Stanis. Ronon then pushed Stanis behind him, and turned to face the Wraith. The creature was under a pile of villagers, who had all thrown themselves on top of their foe. With an almighty roar, the creature rose, throwing villagers off him like rag dolls. But then he did something that surprised Ronon. Rather than turning and fighting, as the Satedan expected, the Wraith ran. Ronon had never seen such behaviour in a Wraith before – running from a fight. Only momentarily distracted, the tall man turned to check none of the villagers were badly hurt, then silently, and stealthily, he followed the Wraith into the complex.

oOoOoOo

John and Teyla were making increasingly slow progress. As they got deeper into the complex, they seemed to encounter more and more Wraith.

"Just how many of them survived?" John asked, not really expecting an answer.

"More than enough," Teyla replied, earning herself a look from John.

"I almost wish Rodney would cry out again," John said with a sigh.

"You wish him to be hurt further?" Teyla asked, her face reflecting her surprise.

"No, of course not," John replied emphatically. "But, if he did, at least then we might be able to find him."

"Is the life sign detector not working any more?" Teyla asked, looking at the device in John's hand.

"With so many people here – if you can call Wraith people," John replied. "It's not a lot of help."

"Just a minute," he continued, stopping suddenly, causing Teyla to almost crash into him.

"What is it?" she asked.

"There's a room here with three people in it," John said, a lift in his voice.

"What makes you think it might be them?" Teyla asked.

"What do you smell?" John asked cryptically.

"It does smell familiar," Teyla said, a frown on her face as she tried to place the smell.

"It smells like the Infirmary," John said, a note of triumph in his voice. He hadn't realized that all those hours spent in that place, recuperating, might actually have an upside to them.

Before either of them could move, their ears were assailed by another cry, again emanating from a certain Dr Rodney McKay.

Without thinking any further, John went to shoulder charge the door, but before he could do so, Teyla put a restraining hand on his arm. She nodded towards a covered hatchway in the wall.

"I believe this may have been some kind of observation room," she said, answering his questioning look.

She carefully lifted up the hatch, giving them both a clear view of what was going on in the room. It was not reassuring.

Michael stood in one corner of the room, holding Rodney firmly round the shoulders, a knife held to the scientist's neck. A trickle of blood running down Rodney's neck was evidence that the knife had already been put to use.

Carson stood at the workbench, a determined look on his face.

"Just what are you planning to do Michael?" he asked. "Even if you kill Rodney, I still can't work any faster. And if you do kill him, then what makes you think I'll carry on helping you?"

"I don't plan to kill him," Michael said, an evil grin spreading across his face. "Just to hurt him a little."

"Fine," Carson said. "Go ahead."

Rodney gurgled in protest.

"But," Carson continued. "I still can't go any faster. Do you think I want to be stuck in this place any longer than I really have to be?"

"I know just how stubborn you can be, Dr Beckett," Michael said menacingly. "Remember, you have very few secrets from me. We are linked, you and I, in a way you can never really understand. But you will do what I ask, my stubborn friend. Because if you don't, then I will make sure that your suffering will last beyond life, and into eternity."

With those words still echoing in their ears, John and Teyla watched in horror as Michael released Rodney, allowing the scientist to sag back against the wall in relief. He then advanced on Carson, maintaining eye contact with the Scot the whole time. As they continued to watch, Carson's face set into a determined grimace. Then, as Michael stood before him, their friend fell to his knees, clutching his head. Then he let out an agonizing groan, before slumping to the floor, unconscious, or worse.


	13. InFighting

Elizabeth practiced her most severe frown as they made their way to find Jinto. Radek kept glancing at her, until he finally he turned to her, putting a hand on her arm to stop her.

"I'm really sorry, Dr Weir," he apologized again. "I did not wish to make your life even harder than before. I tried to find another culprit, rather than Jinto. Please accept my heartfelt apologies. I did not mean to make you angry."

"Radek," Elizabeth said, a puzzled look on her face. "What makes you think that I'm angry?"

"You have been frowning all the way to here," Radek said, looking puzzled himself.

"Oh, now I'm the one whose sorry, Radek," she said with a smile. "I'm practicing."

"Practicing?" Radek echoed, even more confused.

"Jinto always makes me smile. There's just something sweet about him, full of mischief, and it makes me smile. I don't want to break out in a smile when I'm trying to get to the bottom of this. So I'm practicing being severe."

"Ah," Radek said, light dawning at last. "So you are not angry with me?"

"No, my friend," Elizabeth said, giving him the benefit of her beautiful smile. "I'm not at all angry with you."

Radek looked slightly shell-shocked after that smile. But as they continued walking along the corridor, Elizabeth had to hide her grin. The Czech was obviously practicing too. His mobile face was contorting into grimaces that would make a gargoyle proud.

However, all levity disappeared as they entered the canteen and saw their quarry, sitting with some friends at a table in the corner. The group was laughing and joking, but as soon as Jinto saw Elizabeth and Radek, the grin on his face disappeared, and he got to his feet, as if he was ready for flight.

Elizabeth's frown returned for real, this time. The boy gave every indication of being guilty. As a diplomat, Elizabeth had become very adept at reading body language. And if she was reading Jinto's body language correctly, the boy had something to hide.

"Jinto," she said, softly, but firmly. "Can I have a word with you, please?" The other boys all looked puzzled, but then they gave what was almost a collective shrug, and turned back to their conversation. They were used to Jinto being treated slightly differently from them. His father was, after all, an important man among their people. And they didn't really mind, as long as Jinto didn't get any airs and graces about it.

The only person who seemed unhappy about it, was Jinto himself. His face was long, and his eyes held the edge of fear about them. Elizabeth sighed. She was not looking forward to telling Halling and Teyla that Jinto was a thief, because that was looking more and more likely.

As the two adults and the boy moved away from the group, Elizabeth put a gentle hand on Jinto's arm. It was not enough to restrain him, but it was enough to get his attention.

"Jinto," she continued. "We have a problem, and we were wondering if you could help us with it?"

Jinto momentarily looked relieved, but then Elizabeth continued.

"There have been a number of things that have gone missing recently, and although most of them have been returned, it is still a serious matter."

The boy looked scared now, and all doubts that Elizabeth had about his guilty fled at that look.

"Jinto," she said firmly. "Have you been taking these items?"

The boy was silent for a moment, and that in itself was unusual. She had expected an instant denial, or, at the very least, an element of blustering. It was Radek who filled the silence.

"You have been around on each of the occasions things have gone missing," the scientist said, his voice unhappy. "You are the only person who has been present on each occasion."

"Jinto," Elizabeth said, drawing the boy's attention back to her. "We want to help you sort this out. We need to know why you've been taking these things. And we'll need to tell you're father."

The fear in the boy's eyes deepened, and a look of panic fleetingly flashed across his face.

"Please don't tell my father," he said, the panic also evident in his voice. "Please, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do it. Please don't tell him."

Elizabeth and Radek exchanged a look of surprise. They hadn't expected the boy to confess as quickly or as easily.

"Why did you do it, Jinto?" Elizabeth asked, her voice soft.

A look of panic again showed in the boy's face. "I don't know," he said, wretchedly. "I couldn't help it. It just happened." Then to the distress of the adults, the boy burst into tears.

oOoOoOo

John instinctively moved towards the door. His only thought was that Rodney and Carson needed to be rescued, now! But a large hand on his shoulder stopped him. He turned to see Ronon. The big man had arrived. Once again, John wondered how such a big man could move so silently.

"Not a good idea," Ronon said, nodding towards the door. It was unusual for Ronon to advocate caution, but in this occasion he was right.

"I know," John reluctantly conceded. "But we can't just leave them there. Michael is going to kill them, before too long."

"And if we go in there," Ronon replied. "We'd be died too."

John opened his mouth to voice his frustration, but before he could say anything, they heard two Wraith approach from the opposite direction from which they had come.

Teyla quickly ran over to one of the doors in the long corridor. She cautiously opened it and then nodded to the men to indicate it was clear. They ran into the empty room, just before the Wraith reached their position.

They seemed to stop just outside the door, because their voices carried very clearly to the people inside.

"He is being too lenient," one of the Wraith said. "The humans are of no real use to us."

"But he says they can make us fully Wraith again," the other replied.

"And why should they help us? Would you help them if you were captured by the enemy?" the first Wraith argued.

"But humans are different," the other pointed out. "They are weak, and have a compassionate side."

"I think Michael's human side is showing too strongly, then," the first retorted. "He is showing too much compassion to those humans."

"But the doctor can help us," the other argued further.

"But what use is the whiny one?" the first asked. "Michael should have let us kill him, right at the beginning."

"And what about the medic?"

"Michael has broken his mind before. He can do it again, and this time he needed be so careful. He should just scrape it clean of all the information we need, then leave him, like the gibbering wreak all humans are."

"Would that work?" the other Wraith asked.

"I'm sure of it," the first one replied. "Then we can leave this hell-hole and return to our own people. But Michael is too soft. He can never be truly Wraith again."

"What are you suggesting?" the other Wraith asked, his voice betraying a frightened curiosity.

"Once Michael has the information we need, we get rid of him, and the two humans, of course, and then return to our rightful place in the Hive."

"Should you be saying such things, here?" the other asked, his voice fearful.

"Why not?" the first Wraith replied. "I'm not alone. There are others who think the same as I do. We are strong. Will you join us? Or will you die with Michael?"

"Some choice," John muttered.

"I will join you," the Wraith replied, in the only way he could.

"Come then, let's join our brothers," the first Wraith said, as their footsteps faded into the distance.

"Interesting," John said, half to himself. "Dissention in the ranks."

"The more Wraith that kill each other, the better," Ronon rumbled.

"Yes," Teyla responded. "But if they kill Rodney and Carson too . . ."

"Teyla's right," John replied. "We must get Rodney and Carson out of there. I don't care if they kill Michael, but we need to get our men out."

Putting his words into action, he quietly opened the door, and checked to see if the corridor was clear. Signaling to the others to follow, he moved swiftly towards the room where Carson and Rodney had been, and drew his weapon. He nodded to Ronon, who took the other side of the door, and then slowly turned the handle. The door swung open, silently, and slowly. But as it opened, all they saw was an empty room.


	14. Rebellion

Elizabeth was at a loss to know how to deal with Jinto. His utter distress made her feel sympathy for him, and she wanted to comfort the boy. But she also knew that he had to be punished. He obviously knew what he was doing was wrong, otherwise he'd not have reacted the way he did. And if she didn't punish him, it would send the wrong message, not only to the boy, but to others who might feel tempted to break the law.

The situation was made worse because of the sometimes delicate relations between the Lanteans and the Athosians. Elizabeth knew that there was still some resentment among the Athosians for the way they had been treated at times by the people from Earth. The words "authoritarian" and "judgmental" had been thrown at her in the past, and she didn't want to alienate one of their few allies in the Pegasus Galaxy.

"Jinto," she said, crouching down so that her eyes were on the same level as the boy's. "You know that we need to punish you for what you have done?"

The boy looked at her through tear-filled eyes, and nodded. Elizabeth glanced up at Radek who stood just behind the boy. His face held the same reluctance she felt.

"I have to decide what the best punishment is," Elizabeth continued. "And I want to speak to your father before I settle on it. But in the meantime, we'll have to confine you."

A sudden look of real fear sprang into the boy's eyes, puzzling Elizabeth. Up until that point, Jinto had been upset, but not afraid.

"Perhaps," Radek added. "We could confine Jinto to his room, rather than to the brig?"

The relief on the boy's face was almost tangible.

"Very well," Elizabeth replied, before calling one of the security contingent to them. "Please take Jinto to his room, and make sure he stays there."

The security officer was far too well trained to let his curiosity show. But it was not the usual sort of request he got.

As the officer led Jinto away, Elizabeth turned to Radek with a puzzled frown on her face.

"There is certainly something strange going on here," she said thoughtfully.

"Very strange," Radek replied. "It was as if he was afraid of something, but when you said he could be confined to his room, he seemed more happy. I must investigate this further. I think I must have missed something."

"Thank you, Radek," Elizabeth said, with a warm smile. "Report any findings directly to me. We don't want too many rumours starting with this one."

The Czech smiled his reply

oOoOoOo

Rodney staggered down the dark and damp corridor, trying to keep up with Michael, and also trying to support the almost unconscious body of Carson at the same time.

"What's the hurry?" Rodney demanded, between laboured breaths as Michael dragged them further into the complex. The Wraith didn't reply. In fact, he didn't even acknowledge Rodney's existence.

"Oh that's right," Rodney continued, indignantly. "Just ignore me. What is it with you, Wraith? You go all starey-eyed on us, and then you force us through a hole that suddenly appears in the wall, and down corridors that don't feel as if they've been used for a hundred years." Barely pausing for breath, Rodney continued. "Oh now I get it. You were using that telepathy-thingy. The group-mind, insect, hive, consciousness thing."

Michael did react to that, but it was only to briefly turn towards the scientist, and snarl at him.

"Oh very civilized," Rodney retorted. "So what did your group consciousness tell you? Are the others here to rescue us? Is that why you're so spooked?" Rodney looked thoughtful for a moment. "No, wait," he continued. "If it was that, you'd be running towards your other Wraith/Human hybrids. But you're not. You're running away for them? So do they not like you either?"

"Enough!" Michael said sharply, stopping abruptly, causing Rodney to almost bump into him. Carson, still more unconscious than awake, didn't stop, and his forward momentum resulted in all three men in a heap on the ground.

"You idiot," Michael raged. "Are you trying to get us all killed?"

"What?" Rodney said. "Is that opposed to you killing us? Why should we help you to escape? Because that's what you're doing, isn't it? You're trying to escape from your own kind. So why do you need us? Why not leave us here? You'd get on much faster without us."

The exchange of words seemed to have roused Carson from his semi-stupor.

"Rodney?" he said, hesitantly.

Rodney turned to look at his friend, glad to see recognition in the other man's eyes. The scientist had been seriously worried that Michael's intervention might have fried Carson's brain.

"Hurry up!" Michael barked.

Carson turned towards the Wraith, looking suddenly bewildered.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"He's running away," Rodney responded, disparagingly.

Michael reached out and slapped Rodney across the face, sending the scientist flying back against the wall of the corridor through which they were escaping.

Carson moved quickly to Rodney's side, although he had to steady himself against the wall before he leant over his friend. He automatically started to check Rodney over for any serious damage, but the other man pushed the doctor's hands away, gently.

"I'm fine, Carson," Rodney assured him. "I think our friend, here, is losing his strength."

Carson turned to look at Michael. The Wraith did look different. Not exactly paler, since Wraith were pale to begin with. But all Carson's medical training and intuition told him that Michael was not well. The Scot instinctively reached out toward the Wraith, but his concern was met with a slap of the hand, as Michael rejected any compassion.

Instead, Michael raised the weapon he was carrying and motioned for the two men to precede him.

"Move!" he virtually shouted.

"Good idea," Rodney muttered. "Bring all the other Wraith here, why don't you?"

He continued to mutter as he and Carson obeyed the Wraith's command. Neither of the two men were very steady on their feet, but between the two of them, they were just about able to stay upright and walk in a reasonably straight line.

"Where are we?" Carson asked in whispered tones.

"In some secret corridor or other, I think," Rodney responded. "Michael pressed a panel in the wall, and a doorway appeared."

"And we're running from the other Wraith?"

"I think so, though our tight-lipped friend there won't admit it. I think he's done something to seriously piss them off."

Carson chuckled, which developed into a cough, which stopped them in their tracks again, to allow him to recover.

The delay made Michael even more edgy, and by the time the emerged into daylight, the Wraith seemed a bundle of nervous twitches and anxious glances. Once out in the open, the Wraith forced the pace even more, causing more than the odd stumble, and a few full-blown falls. As Rodney bent to help Carson up to his feet again, he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. His heart skipped a beat. Could it be John and the others come to rescue them?

But moments later, his hopes were dashed. The figures that appeared out of the woods were not Lanteans.

"Michael!" one of the Wraith called out. "You were not taking the doctor away from us, were you?" he challenged.

"No-one seems to care about what happens to me," Rodney muttered.

"Think yourself lucky," Carson retorted.

"No!" Michael's response was more of a snarl than a word. "I was taking him to safety in case you allowed his friends to rescue him."

"You are too soft on these people," one of the other Wraith spat out. "They are only good for one thing. What makes you think this doctor can do something we can't? He is inferior to us in every way. Kill him, kill them both, and get rid of this burden you have landed us with."

"And now he notices me," Rodney muttered.

"No," said the Wrath, who seemed to be leading the rebellion. "One thing Michael got right was that the doctor can help us." The smile the Wraith gave Michael was evil personified. "Where he went wrong was by not simply taking the information from his brain. It is a mistake I plan to rectify."

"Fine," Michael snarled in reply. "If you want the doctor, you can have him. But you should realize by now that his brain is useless. I doubt he's capable of coherent thought. But you're welcome to try." With that, he pushed Carson towards the rebels, with such force that the doctor cannoned into the Wraith, falling heavily and taking down four Wraith with him.

In the moments of confusion that ensued, Rodney found his arm being grabbed painfully by Michael. The Wraith then forced Rodney to follow him into the undergrowth, away from the threat of the other Wraith.

"But Carson!" Rodney said, trying to break free from the strong grip. But still Michael did not stop, and Rodney's continued struggles only earned him more bruises. Just before the undergrowth enveloped them completely, Rodney managed to glance back at Carson. The site he saw did not fill him with hope. The Scot was lying on the ground, motionless. And he was surrounded by Wraith, just waiting to pounce on their prey.


	15. Escape

John and the others made their way systematically through the complex, trying to find Rodney and Carson. As they found yet another empty room, John turned to face the others.

"Something very odd is happening here?" he said.

"Yep," Ronon agreed. "They've all vanished."

"Including Rodney and Carson," Teyla added.

"But where the hell have they gone?" John asked no-one in particular.

"They're outside," a new voice piped up. It was Stanis.

"Where did you see them?" John turned to the boy quickly.

The boy glanced up at Ronon, who gave him an encouraging nod.

"I saw the other doctor, not Dr Carson, with one of the scary men," the boy said. "They were out in the woods, running away from here."

"Can you show us?" John asked.

The boy nodded, and then immediately turned and headed out the door. The three adults exchanged a look of hope and then followed the boy.

oOoOoOo

Carson regained consciousness, only to find himself in the middle of his worst nightmare. Surrounding him, hemming him in, were more Wraith than he ever wanted to see in one place. They were all focusing on him, and their faces did not suggest they were happy to see him.

A sharp kick to his kidneys confirmed his suspicions, and the subsequent blows just added to his conviction. Soon, conscious thought was beyond him. Survival was all there was left. He curled into a ball, to protect himself, as best he could, from the violence of his attackers.

Time lost its meaning as Carson focused simply on survival. He moved slightly so that the blows were spread over his body, trying to avoid damage to the more delicate areas. Even so, he could feel his kidneys getting bruised, and a couple of ribs seemed to crack. Just as he thought that his endurance was at an end, a voice of authority broke into the violence.

"Enough!" said the leader of the Wraith rebellion. "We don't want him dead, yet."

"But he deserves to be punished, Sandron," one of the other Wraith said.

"Interesting," thought Carson, through his pain. "They've got names. That must be their human side coming out."

"I agree," another voice piped up. For a confused moment, Carson thought the Wraith was agreeing with his thought, but then the voice continued. "He made us the way we are. Alienated from our own kind. He deserves to die, for ruining our lives."

"He will die," Sandron said with relish. "But only once he's given us our old lives back. Not until then."

Carson was aware of being dragged to his feet. His bruised legs struggled to hold him, but the rough hands of the nearest Wraith acted as a support.

"What do we do about Michael?" one of the Wraith nearest to Carson asked.

"We will kill him, eventually," Sandron said, coldly. "But for now, we will let him go. He's not really that important."

The callousness of the remark bothered Carson more than he felt it should. After all that Michael had done to him, and to Rodney, he still felt a sense of compassion towards his former patient. In the back of his mind, Carson couldn't get passed the fact that he felt responsible for Michael. In a very real way, he had created Michael, or at least, created the version of Michael that was now in existence. And he felt a responsibility towards him.

But before Carson could explore that thought further, he felt the callousness of the Wraith in a very personal, and pointed way. Sandron turned to him, and meeting the doctor's eyes, the Wraith raised his fist, and punched Carson in the face. Unable to avoid the blow, and in his weakened state, Carson crumpled to the ground, and the blackness of oblivion welcomed him into its clutches once more.

oOoOoOo

The three adults followed the boy through the forest, moving swiftly, and silently. Ronon's trained eye was watching for signs that Michael and Rodney had passed this way, and every so often John would send him a questioning glance. The Satedan nodded confirmation that the boy was on the right track.

However, it wasn't long before neither the boy's knowledge nor the Satedan's training were required. The dulcet tones of Rodney McKay in full complaint mode could soon be heard over the noises if the forest. John and Ronon exchanged an amused glance, before heading off in the direction of the noise.

As they approached the clearing where Michael and Rodney had stopped, it soon became clear to John that Rodney was giving Michael a hard time, as only Rodney could. John smiled at the courage of his friend. Rodney might have a very healthy streak of self-preservation running through him, but when he was angry about something, he could be more out-spoken than anyone John knew.

"And what do you think you were doing, just leaving poor Carson there like that?" Rodney asked. Michael had a resigned look on his face as if he'd been asked that question on numerous occasions already. "You go to all that trouble to kidnap him, and then, at the first sign of trouble, you just dump him, and leave him at the mercy of those life-sucking aliens."

"I'm one of those 'life-sucking aliens'," Michael reminded him.

"Exactly," Rodney replied. "And so you know what they're going to do to him. And what good will that do you? You'll be stuck as you are forever. Only Carson can help you. Only he knows what voodoo potions will make you a Wraith again. And what do you do? You just leave him there. I don't understand you."

"Then that makes us even," Michael muttered. "Dr Beckett's interference wouldn't be of any use to me if I was dead." Michael continued, more audibly.

"And just how much use is he going to be after those friends of yours suck all the life out of him?" Rodney asked.

"They won't kill him," Michael said confidently. "At least not until he has served his purpose."

"And what good will that do you?" Rodney asked. "Since you've run away, again. Like some amoeba on speed."

The Wraith looked confused by the words, but John was hard pushed to smother the laugh that sprang into his throat. Even in such a dangerous situation, Rodney's colourful analogies didn't desert him.

But Michael's confusion only lasted for a moment. Although he didn't fully understand what Rodney was talking about, he did recognize an insult when he heard one. It was the final straw. All his plans had ended in failure, and he was left escaping through the forest with this ungrateful human, who complained all the time, and then insulted him. In anger he raised his hand, and reached towards Rodney's chest. The scientist cringed away, but his escape was limited by the trees behind him.

As he closed his eyes, Rodney resigned himself to the agonizing pain that was sure to follow. When it didn't, he opened his eyes again, to see three very familiar faces staring back at him. And to add to his joy, they each had a gun pointed at Michael.

"What took you so long?" he asked by way of greeting.

"Oh, you know," John replied casually. "We had to make nice to the locals, kill a few Wraith. And when we did find you, you disappeared again."

"I didn't have much choice in the matter," Rodney retorted, pointedly.

"Where's Carson?" Teyla asked.

"Michael, here, kindly left him with the other Wraith," Rodney said, giving Michael an angry stare.

Ronon snarled and took an angry step towards the Wraith, who, almost in spite of himself, took a step back in the face of the Satedan's very potent form of intimidation.

"What have you done to him?" Ronon asked, threateningly.

"They won't kill him, yet," Michael said, unconsciously echoing the words of Sandron. "He's too valuable to them. Dr McKay, on the other hand, is useless to them, and he would be dead if I hadn't taken him with me."

"Why thanks for nothing," Rodney piped up. "Not content with threatening me with violence, now you insult me. That is so typical of a Wraith."

For a moment, the group was distracted as a loud noise, like an explosion, but not quite the same, reverberated through the forest. As they looked around, trying to find the origins of the noise, a large ship rose above the tree line, hovered for a moment, and then went streaking out of sight.

John turned to Michael, an accusing look on his face.

"Was that who I think it was?" he asked.

Michael grinned, but it was a mirthless grin. "That was my fellow Wraith. And your friend Dr Beckett will be with them."

They turned to look at the sky again, as if hoping to see where the ship had gone. In that moment of distraction, Michael took full advantage. Moving with the silent grace that all Wraith seemed to possess in some degree, he virtually vanished into the undergrowth.

It took Ronon's bellow of rage to alert the others to what had happened, but soon Ronon and John were in hot pursuit. Teyla was only a step behind them. Rodney had to disentangle himself before he could follow the others. A tangle of vines seemed to have captured his foot. By the time he'd caught up with the others, they'd come to a standstill and seemed to be gazing into space.

"Am I missing something here?" he asked, between gasps.

"Damn!" John replied, slamming his fist into the nearest tree.

"Where's Michael?" Rodney asked, still trying to make sense of what had happened.

"There," Ronon said, pointing up towards the sky.

"Okay," Rodney said, with a sigh. "Did you take a detour and eat some of the local hallucinogenic flora?"

"No," John said, turning to face the scientist. "Michael had a cloaked ship. And he escaped in it, before we could reach him."

"But that means he's gone," Rodney said, still trying to grasp what had happened.

"Give the man a prize," John said, sarcastically.

"And so has Carson," Rodney added, ignoring John. "And without Michael's help, how on earth do we find him again?"


	16. Flight

Carson opened his eyes carefully, ready to flinch from either a hard blow aimed in his direction, or the hard piercing gaze of his captors. But, to his relief, he found he was alone, with no tormentors in sight. He did find that his wrists and ankles were bound, and he was strapped to a bed, in much the way Michael had bound him several months before. But at least he wasn't in immediate danger of being beaten to a pulp.

However, the relief was short-lived as he quickly realized that he was on the move. The sensation of movement was one he had experienced before, when he was aboard a space-ship.

Carson's heart sank. If he was on board some kind of ship, how on earth would his friends find him? The planet they had been on was far out of reach of Atlantis' censors, and even if the puddle-jumper hadn't been in a million pieces on the forest glade, it wouldn't have been able to find him with its limited sensors.

He felt very alone. More alone than he'd ever felt before. Even when Michael had taken him prisoner before, he knew the others would come for him. He had just not been sure if they would come in time. They had, of course. But this time, they wouldn't even know where to start looking for him.

A lonely tear started to work its way down Carson's cheek. Unable to wipe it away, he felt it progress down his cheek until he could taste its saltiness in his mouth. He tried to control the tears that started to flow, but with all that he'd been through recently, he was unable to control the great wave of sadness that washed over him.

oOoOoOo

They made their way back, purposefully, to the 'Gate, anxious to get back to Atlantis so they could start the search for Carson. They had almost reached their destination, when a group of villagers approached them. Silis was at their head, and the two children were beside him.

Shela broke free from the group and came running towards Rodney. When she reached him she stopped, and then reached up and tugged at his sleeve. The scientist looked down at the girl with a look of irritation on his face.

"Where's Dr Carson?" she asked. John noticed a fleeting look of pain cross Rodney's face at her question.

"The scary men took him," Stanis replied for them. It was clear from his tone that he hoped one of the adults would contradict him, but of course they didn't.

"I'm sorry that Carson suffered at their hands," Silis said, arousing John's suspicions again.

"Did you know about the Wraith?" he asked. "The 'scary men'," he added as the man looked confused for a moment.

Silis hesitated for a moment, and then shook his head.

Ronon grunted at the denial, and John shot him a glance. It was obvious that the big man didn't believe Silis any more than he did.

"That didn't sound too convincing," John commented.

Silis glanced round him. It was a woman who stepped forward, and she answered John's question.

"We did not know who they were," she said. "But we knew there was someone or something in the forest," she continued, giving Silis a scornful look. "My husband is just embarrassed that he did nothing to confront them."

"I thought they were just the outcome of the children's imagination," Silis said defensively.

"Well, they seemed rather substantial to me," Rodney retorted.

"I am truly sorry that they took Carson," Silis said. "He was good to our people, and did not deserve that fate."

"He's not dead, yet," Rodney muttered. "But if you keep talking and keeping us from looking for him, he might soon be."

"Sorry," John said, with a lopsided grin. "He gets a little grumpy when people kidnap his friends. He's not got that many to begin with."

Rodney's indignant harrumph mixed with Ronon's snort of laughter. But their words did have the desired effect on the villagers, who allowed them to continue on their way towards the 'Gate.

Just as they reached it, Shela ran forward again, and this time she tugged on John's sleeve.

"Bring Dr Carson home safely," she said, her eyes pleading.

John reached out and stroked her head. "I promise, we'll do our best," he said, giving her a gentle smile, before he followed the others through the 'Gate.

oOoOoOo

Elizabeth jumped to her feet as soon as she heard whose IDC had been transmitted through the wormhole, and she was standing, waiting, eagerly for them as they trudged home.

"Rodney," she said by way of greeting, laying a welcoming hand on his arm. "It's good to see you again."

She looked around, obviously looking for Carson. She turned a questioning look towards John, her eyebrows raised.

"The Wraith have him," John admitted with a sigh. "Not Michael, but the others. There was a falling out among thieves."

"What happened to Michael?" Elizabeth asked.

"He escaped too," Teyla said, a frown crossing her face.

"So where did they take him?" Elizabeth asked. "Carson, not Michael," she added in case anyone was in doubt.

"We don't know," Ronon growled.

"Rodney . . ." Elizabeth started, before realizing that the scientist wasn't with them anymore. "Rodney?" she said again, wondering what he was doing. He was sitting at one of the screens that ringed the area around the 'Gate. It was obvious that he had pushed one of the technicians away from the screen, as a girl sat a few feet away from him, with a very surprised expression on her face.

"Working, here," Rodney said.

Elizabeth exchanged an amused and exasperated glance with John.

"Okay, Rodney," John said. "But just what are you doing?"

"I'm looking for Carson, of course," Rodney said, using the kind of tone that he would have used when explaining something to a child.

"Surely the sensors can't reach that far," Elizabeth said, sending a hopeful glance John's way.

"Of course they can't," he said derisively. "But I'm modifying them. Now, where's Radek?" He looked around for the other scientist, who quickly hurried to his side.

"Ah, there you are," Rodney said. "About time too."

"Nice to see you too, Rodney," Radek said ironically.

"Yes, whatever," Rodney said dismissively. "Now where's the schematic to extend the censors using the MALP?"

Elizabeth gave Radek a questioning look. But the scientist was too busy working at the terminal to notice her look. His fingers flew across the keyboard, and within a few moments, a schematic appeared on the screen.

"Yes," Rodney said, pushing Radek out of the way, and getting to work on the schematic himself.

"What is this about, Rodney?" Elizabeth asked.

"I've been working on a way of extending our censors using the MALP," Rodney explained. Radek coughed pointedly.

"Okay," Rodney continued. "We've been working on it. Though it'd be ready by now if I'd not had to correct Radek's errors in calculation." The Czech shook his head in bemusement, used to Rodney's behaviour by now.

"So can we use this to find Carson?" John asked.

"In theory it should work," Radek responded. "But we have not tested it in the field, as it were."

"How long will it take you to adapt one of the MALPs?" Elizabeth asked.

"I'd do it a lot quicker if you stop asking all these stupid questions," Rodney responded, earning himself a look from Elizabeth.

"Then why don't de-brief the others, while you and Radek get to work," Elizabeth replied, her diplomatic training coming in useful yet again.

"Good idea," Rodney mumbled as he started type furiously on the keyboard. "Now, Radek, what about the power source?"

Elizabeth and John exchanged an amused glance, and lead the others away to Elizabeth's office so the de-briefing could begin.

oOoOoOo

Carson's isolation ended earlier than he had hoped, when the door to his prison cell slide open to reveal Sandron.

"I see you are making yourself comfortable, Dr Beckett," the Wraith said ironically. "It's just as well that you are resting, so you will be strong and able to work on the cure."

"Do you honestly believe I'm going to help you become full-blown Wraith again?" Carson asked.

"That is exactly what I expect from you," Sandron said, barely restrained anger in his voice.

"And exactly why should I do that?" Carson asked.

"Because if you don't, you will die," Sandron said simply.

"Aye," Carson responded. "That's a real threat, isn't it? Do you think I'm stupid? No don't answer that," Carson continued, as the Wraith opened his mouth to speak. "But I'm not so stupid that I think I'll get out of this alive. Once you are full-blown Wraith, all I'll be to you is a food source. So why don't you just kill me now and get it over with? Because I'm not going to help you."


	17. Two Dots

_**A word of warning about this chapter – there is some elements of torture in it. It's not too graphic, but I thought I should warn you.**_

oOoOoOo

Rodney worked frantically, without rest, without pausing even to eat. Radek was at his side, silently handing him the tools he needed. It helped Rodney to be able to work. It helped clear his mind of the horror of what Carson must be going through. He'd seen how his friend had suffered at the hands of Michael, and he had a fairly good idea that the other Wraith would be even less restrained in their coercion of the good doctor.

As he worked, the Canadian was vaguely aware of his other friends on Atlantis subtly looking after him. Firstly, it was Elizabeth, who arrived with a cup of coffee in her hand. She didn't say a word. Simply, putting down the coffee on the table beside him, and laying a comforting hand on his shoulder. She then left as silently as she had arrived.

John was next. He also provided a cup of coffee and a couple of power bars. He stayed for a while, leaning against the nearest counter.

"How much longer before this is ready?" he asked. Rodney muttered in response to the question, but it was up to Radek translate for John.

"It should be ready in a couple more hours," Radek said, smiling in response to John's sigh of relief. "Provided, of course, we do not run into any more problems," he added cautiously.

"That's good to hear," John responded, slapping both men on the shoulder.

Teyla arrived next, with her offering of coffee and an Athosian delicacy that both men were known to enjoy.

"Colonel Sheppard is preparing the team," she said to Rodney. "So whenever you are finished, they will be ready to go."

Their last visitor was more surprising. It was the large, and silent figure of Ronon. He brought his offering – a cold refreshing drink, and then left without a word.

Eventually, Rodney looked up, and exchanged a glance with Radek.

"Are we ready to test it?" the Czech asked.

"As ready as we'll ever be," Rodney confirmed. He raised his hand to his comm-link. "Elizabeth," he said. "We're ready for the test."

"Everything is in place, here," she responded immediately, as if she'd been anxiously waiting for Rodney's call.

By the time Rodney and Radek reached the 'Gate, it was obvious that Elizabeth was not the only one awaiting their call. John, Teyla and Ronon were standing talking quietly in one corner. Lorne, and his team, stood just beside them, checking their guns. Elizabeth hovered at the top of the steps, pacing slightly in her anxiety.

As soon as the two men appeared, they gathered together, round them, and the adapted MALP. Elizabeth looked at them, hope shining from her face. She couldn't face the thought of Carson trapped in the clutches of their enemies, alone and helpless. He was one of her closest friends, and her greatest confidante. She needed him back, and soon. Not just for his sake, but for her own.

"Okay," Rodney said. "Room needed here. The MALP has to be able to get to the 'Gate to be able to go through it."

Slightly embarrassed soldiers stepped back, giving the MALP a route to the 'Gate.

As Rodney sat down at the computer, he was surrounded by an anxious audience. Elizabeth stood at one side and Radek at his other shoulder. John, Teyla and Ronon ranged behind them, with Lorne and his team, in the background.

All eyes were on the computer screen as the MALP made its way through the wormhole. As it reached the other side, Rodney keyed in the sequence required, and the image on the screen changed to a sensor reading.

For a moment, no-one seemed to dare to breath. All that could be heard was the noise of the keys clicking as Rodney's fingers flew over them.

"Is it working?" John asked, impatience getting the better of him.

"It will take a few moments to get the telemetry correct," Radek said, as Rodney remained silent.

"There it is!" Rodney said with a note of triumph and relief in his voice.

"Is it definitely the Wraith ship?" John asked. "It could be Michael's."

"There are two dots," Ronon pointed out.

"So one is Michael's ship and the other the Wraith," Teyla said, almost making her statement a question.

"Well, thank you Einstein," Rodney said sarcastically, and earned himself confused looks from both Ronon and Teyla.

Teyla turned to John, ready to ask him to explain Rodney's latest remark. He just shook his head gently, and mouthed "Later." She nodded in return.

"So how do we work out which ship Beckett's on?" Ronon asked.

"Can the sensors detect how many people are on each ship?" Elizabeth asked.

"Working on it," Rodney said, his fingers moving rapidly again. "Okay, this is not good," the scientist added.

"What's wrong?" John asked, at the same moment the image on the screen vanished.

"What's happened to the sensors?" Elizabeth asked.

"We've lost the connection," Rodney said, still frantically typing. "Something seems to be interfering with it at the other end." He turned to look at the others, a look of dejection on his face.

oOoOoOo

Carson braced himself for another visit from Sandron. The Wraith had a different approach from Michael. Where Michael had used mental brute force, Sandron seemed to favour the "War of Attrition" method.

Each day, the leader would appear at some point in time, and niggle away at Carson, both mentally and physically. The torture was very sophisticated, if torture can ever be sophisticated. And it was wearing Carson down. His physical and mental defenses were weakening, and his body was betraying him further each day.

Deprived of food, and with only limited water, he knew he was getting near the end of his endurance. He had lost a lot of blood from the injuries Sandron had inflicted on him, none serious in themselves, but when all added together, they severely weakened him.

Mentally, his strength was fading too, as the little hope he had of rescue disappeared with each passing day. He found himself hallucinating, thinking of Atlantis, of Scotland, of all the places he had thought of as home over the years. He could hear the voices of his friends echoing through his mind, almost as if they were encouraging him. But he wasn't sure what they were encouraging him to do. Were they encouraging him to carry on? To keep fighting? Or to give in? To help the Wraith?

Suddenly, the door to his prison flew open. Carson jumped. He tried to stop himself, to relax, but that always proved impossible. His nerves were so tightly strung that even the slightest noise made him tense up.

"Ah, Dr Beckett," Sandron's hated voice echoed through the empty room. "Ready for another little discussion?"

Carson tried not to cringe at the voice. In a detached part of his mind, he realized that Sandron's voice had become intrinsically linked with pain. And that even hearing the voice produced a reaction in his body, making it tense in anticipation of the pain. But although his mind understood the logic of his body's reaction, he still couldn't stop the instinctive response.

"Still not talking to me, Dr Beckett," Sandron continued. "It must be lonely for you, with no-one to talk to."

Carson turned his face away from the voice, closing his eyes. But Sandron just laughed. He took Carson's face between his hands and forced the doctor to face him. Carson opened his eyes, and looked defiantly up into the Wraith's eyes. For a moment, Sandron's eyes reminded Carson of John's – as they had been when he'd been attacked by Ellia. A wave of homesickness hit the doctor, causing him to sigh.

Sandron looked at him quizzically, and then the look turned into an evil smile.

"So, now I've got your attention, Doctor," he said. "Perhaps we can continuing our discussions – with a little help from this." Sandron held up an instrument, it was one Carson had become very accustomed to over the last few days. It was the Wraith's version of a scalpel, and Sandron had been using it to painful effect.

The Wraith forcibly took hold of Carson's right arm, and undid the bindings on it. He then held the arm up, so that Carson could see it. It was already criss-crossed with thin lines of red, some of it still seeping blood.

The look on Sandron's face told Carson he was in for more pain. The Wraith seemed to enjoy torture more than any other creature Carson had encountered. He seemed to get pleasure from making others suffer.

"So we begin today's little session of discussion," Sandron said, laying the scalpel against Carson's inner arm, very gently, and then applying pressure until the blood started to seep out.

Carson closed his eyes, bracing himself for more pain. Even with his eyes shut he could sense the evil smile on the Wraith's face as he anticipated causing his victim yet more pain. Just as Sandron cut into Carson's arm again, the ship was rocked by an explosion.

"What the . . . ?" the Wraith said, looking down at Carson. Before either man could react, another explosion hit and Sandron stumbled slightly. As he stumbled, the scalpel he was hold slipped within his grasp, slicing into Carson's arm, causing the doctor to cry out in agony, as a red fountain of blood spilled from his arm.


	18. Where are You?

Rodney was working furiously on the computer in front of him. He was also in constant communication with a team of scientists on the planet surface, working on the MALP. The others were standing around, trying not to get in anyone's way, but still ready to move at a moment's notice.

Elizabeth and John stood to one side, talking casually, about nothing in particular. It was an aspect of their relationship that they both enjoyed. Even in tense moments, they could relax in each other's company, without having to put on any pretense.

As they chatted, an anxious security officer approached them.

"Dr Weir," she said nervously. Elizabeth gave her an encouraging smile. "There's a problem with Jinto," the officer continued.

"What sort of problem?" Elizabeth asked. Teyla and Radek had both joined them, when they heard Jinto's name mentioned.

"He's gone missing," the officer admitted, slightly reluctantly.

"But I thought his room was to be guarded at all times," Elizabeth said, sharply, a frown forming on her face.

"It was," the officer confirmed. "We can't work out how he got out."

"What's going on?" John asked, making Elizabeth realize she had forgotten to tell either John or Teyla of their discovery about Jinto.

"While you were on the planet, Jinto confessed to being the thief," she admitted. John and Teyla exchanged a worried frown. Although they had suspected Jinto might be involved in some way, they had both hoped that he was innocent.

"I confined him to his quarters," Elizabeth continued. "But it seems he has managed to escape."

"I think we need to do abit more investigation," John said.

"What about finding Carson?" Teyla asked.

"Rodney," John said, raising his voice. "Let us know as soon as you're ready to get the sensors back on line."

The scientist waved a hand vaguely in their direction, in acknowledgement, his eyes never leaving the screen in front of him.

oOoOoOo

The intense pain as his arm was sliced open caused Carson's already much-abused body to react badly. His grasp on consciousness faded, and he felt as if he was floating. But he was brought back to reality, as an ever more intense pain filled his chest. A Wraith hand had connected and his body started to shut down in reaction to the pain.

A tingling sensation reached from his toes to the tip of his hair, and then he felt as if he was floating away from reality. The world around him dissolved, and then went completely black.

oOoOoOo

When they got to Jinto's room, they were in for another shock. Lined up carefully on the table in the middle of the room, as if on display, were a dozen items that he'd obviously stolen.

John picked one up, examining it carefully. "Don't tell me Jinto's into wearing flower hair clasps?" he said hopefully.

"I think that one belongs to Kate Heightmeyer," Elizabeth said, with a sigh.

"How could he have stolen those?" Radek asked, a frown on his face. "They were not here when we brought him to his room, and there has been a guard on the door every since."

"I guess he did it the same way he managed his disappearing act," John said, moving over to the wall, and starting to tap on it.

The others watched him for a moment, puzzled, before Elizabeth asked the question that was on the others' lips too.

"John, just want the hell are you doing?" she said.

"Looking for secret passages," he replied, as if it was obvious.

"Have you been watching those Sherlock Holmes DVDs again?" Elizabeth asked, glancing at Radek who blushed slightly. "Radek has already been quoting him to me."

"I was thinking more of Indiana Jones," Ronon said, rather unexpectedly. John grinned at him, then noticed Elizabeth's puzzled look.

"I though Teyla and Ronon need a little bit of cultural education," he explained.

"So you showed them Indiana Jones DVDs?" Elizabeth said, with an arched eyebrow.

"Yep," John replied, almost proudly.

"I liked the bit where he dropped his whip, and shot the guy," Ronon offered.

"You would," Elizabeth said, smiling to take the edge of her words.

Just at that moment, John gave out a yelp of triumph.

"I think I've found something," he said. "This bit of wall sounds hollow."

He carefully started to feel round the edge of the wall. Elizabeth joined him, and then with a mischievous grin, leaned over and tapped a section of the wall just beside John's head. The wall soundlessly slide open.

"Hey," John exclaimed. "How'd you do that."

"Female intuition," Elizabeth said. "And the fact that the section of the wall had the word "open" in Arabic characters."

"Clever, huh?" John said, sardonically.

Before they could do anything further, footsteps could be heard in the passageway, and Jinto's voice echoed towards them. It was obvious he was unhappy with his companion. Although his words were muffled by the partially closed door, they could tell by his tone he was scolding someone.

Instinctively, the adults all remained silent, watching the entrance to the passageway. Elizabeth was even more puzzled now. She had sensed Jinto was trying to hide something from her. And she'd also wondered if he was trying to protect someone. Now it did seem that he had an accomplice, someone who was currently getting a dressing-down from the young man.

Jinto was still reprimanding his companion when they appeared at the entrance. In fact, Jinto was so intent on what he was doing it took a moment for him to realize that his room was full of people, and very important people at that.

His companion noticed the visitors straight away. The creature's dark eyes surveyed them, full of fear, but mixed with curiosity.

A moment later, Jinto noticed the adults, and his eyes held the same mixture of fear and curiosity as the animal in his arms.

"What on earth is that?" Elizabeth asked.

"It's a chicu," Teyla stated. "It is a native creature that my people found on our travels. Some keep them as pets. They are very intelligent, similar to the monkeys you have on earth."

"And I think we've just found our thief," John added.

"Jada didn't mean to," Jinto said very quickly. "He's just curious, and likes to collect things. I tried to put things back but I couldn't always work out where he got them from."

"Why did you bring him onto Atlantis?" Elizabeth asked. "Would it not have been better to leave him on the mainland?"

"He likes Dr Beckett," Jinto said. "And Dr Beckett likes him too. He says he's not allergic to him like he is with cats. So I brought him so Dr Beckett could see him again. But then Dr Beckett wasn't here."

His words reminded the adults of on-going situation. And then, as if conjured up by their thoughts, Rodney's voice sounded through their comm-links.

"The sensors are back on line," he said succinctly.

"We're on our way," Elizabeth confirmed as they moved as one towards the door. Jinto followed along, curious to see what was happening. And since no-one told him not to go with them, he was still with the group when they arrived at Rodney's side. The scientist gave the creature in Jinto's arms a cursory stare, and then turned to concentrate on the screen again.

"We've managed to get the long-range sensors working again," he stated. "It was just a loose connection on the MALP."

"Have you found the two ships again?" John asked.

Rodney's reply was a very pointed look. John held up his hands as if in surrender. "Just checking," he added.

"The two ships both seem to be heading towards this planet here," Rodney said, as if John hadn't spoken.

"Are they working together?" Elizabeth asked.

"Can't tell," Rodney replied. "They are flying in the same direction, following the same flight path, but whether one is chasing the other, or they are simply following one another, that I'm afraid I can't say."

"What planet is that?" John asked.

"I'm running a search through the database to see if we have information on it," the Canadian gate technician replied. "So far I've not found anything."

Radek took his place at the terminal beside Rodney, and started to frantically search through the database himself.

The others turned to watch the screen. It was almost as if they felt if they watched the screen closely enough, they'd be able to work out what was going on. Suddenly, the blips on the screen jumped, and then when the sensors settled again, there was only one ship visible.

"What happened?" John asked.

"One of the ships vanished," Elizabeth responded, helpfully.

"I had worked out that much myself," he replied. "But why?"

All eyes turned to Rodney.

"How am I supposed to know?" Rodney asked. "I left my crystal ball at home today."

"Rodney!" Elizabeth said admonishingly.

"Okay," he replied. "Three possibilities. One of the ships either cloaked itself or went into hyperdrive."

"And what's the third?" Teyla asked, sounding as if she wasn't sure she wanted to hear the answer.

"One of the ships destroyed the other," Rodney said, matter-of-factedly.

"And we've no way of knowing if Carson is on that ship or the one that vanished?" Elizabeth asked.

"No," Rodney responded.

"The sensors are showing up debris in the location of the ship that's disappeared," Radek said, sadly.

"Oh, Carson," Elizabeth said, softly. "Where are you, my friend?"


	19. Rescue Plans

Awareness returned to Carson slowly, very slowly. He started to feel his extremities. The tingling sensation in his hands and feet started to annoy him, rousing him from his unconsciousness. At first he tried to ignore it, but his hands started to itch, and instinctively he started to scratch them. He felt the hands of another reach out and stop his hand scratching. Something seemed wrong about it, but in his befuddled state he couldn't quite work out what it was.

But the wrongness started to pray on his mind, and eventually he forced himself to open his eyes, just to see where he was, and what was niggling away at him.

His eyes took a while to focus. At first all he could see was light – a white, vibrant light that hurt his eyes and made his head ache. Gradually, though, things started to take shape. The blurred edges solidified and he was able to recognize elements of his surroundings.

"So you're back with me, Dr Beckett," a familiar voice said.

"But how . . ?" Carson asked, confused to suddenly find himself face to face with Michael, yet again.

"A little Wraith technology, modified by some friends of mine," Michael said. "It's a culling beam that can be directed at one very specific target. In this case, you."

"What about the others, in the other ship?" Carson asked.

"What other ship?" Michael replied. "There is no other ship . . . now."

"You killed them?" Carson asked, unable to keep the pain out of his voice.

"Why should that bother you, Dr Beckett?" Michael asked. "They hardly treated you well, and after all, killing people is not something you are particularly squeamish about."

Carson sighed. He could hardly argue with that. And Michael wasn't to know that he had argued strongly to spare them from the aerial bombardment which John had ordered.

It made Carson wonder, though. Maybe there was an element of truth in what Ronon said. Once a Wraith, always a Wraith. Even when they became human, they seemed to have no compunction in killing others, as poor Lathan had found out.

Or maybe it was the Pegasus Galaxy. Maybe it made murderers of everyone. Carson sighed.

"Regret at your actions, Dr Beckett?" Michael asked.

"Aye," Carson admitted. "Maybe a wee bit. But if you don't do something you regret, you'll never grow, never learn compassion."

"Compassion?" Michael asked, a note of contempt in his voice. "Is that what you showed to me?"

Carson just looked at him, pain shining in his blue eyes. He couldn't really answer the Wraith's question. How could he explain that he had only been trying to find a way for humans and Wraith to co-exist without the genocide of one or the other.

"Where are you taking me?" Carson asked, changing the subject.

"Somewhere that you friends will not be able to trace. Somewhere that people can disappear and never be found again."

Carson's heart sank.

oOoOoOo

"The remaining ship is heading towards that planet," Rodney said.

"Have we discovered what that planet is yet?" Elizabeth asked.

"I think it is Cha'Nora," Radek said, stumbling slightly over the unusual name. "There are a number of references to a planet in that area in the Ancient database. And they all say that is its name. There do not appear to be any other habitable planets in the vicinity."

Radek's comment caused Teyla and Ronon to exchange a look.

"Ok," John said. "What is that look for?"

Teyla hesitated before she replied. "We both recognize the name of that planet," she admitted finally.

"And it isn't good," Ronon added ominously.

"In what way?" Elizabeth asked.

"Know that place they visited in "Star Wars"," Ronon said. The others nodded, while Elizabeth made a mental note to review the amount of time John's team spent watching DVDs. "The one where all the low-lifes were. That is what Cha'Nora is like."

"But surely a Wraith couldn't just go there without causing a commotion?" John said, with a question in his voice.

"Wraith are just as welcome, or unwelcome, as anyone there," Ronon said. "It's a place where no-one asks any questions, and where people disappear without trace."

Teyla nodded her agreement at his words.

"Have either of you ever been there?" Elizabeth asked.

Teyla shook her head, but Ronon responded with a nod. "It was a good place to escape from the Wraith," he said. "And no-one answered any of their questions."

"So," John drawled thoughtfully. "We can go there, and no-one would as much as look at us, but they'd also be stum on seeing Carson too."

"Yep," Ronon agreed. "And they might just try to kill you, just for the hell of it."

"Sounds like a nice place," Elizabeth said, sarcasm lacing her voice.

"It's the only lead we've got," John said. "But how the hell do we find Carson once we get there?"

"Provided he's still alive to be found," Rodney pointed out.

"The ship appears to be in orbit around the planet," Radek said, his eyes never leaving the screen in front of him.

"We need to get there fast," Ronon said. "Nobody stays there long. Two days, tops."

"How long would it take to get there in a 'Jumper?" Elizabeth asked.

"Using the 'Gate," John replied. "A day, or maybe less."

"But we wouldn't exactly have a major strike force to get Carson out," Rodney pointed out.

"Go in mob-handed, and they'd kill you," Ronon remarked. "You need to do things real quietly, so no-one will notice."

"So we go there, ask no questions," Rodney said, annoyance in his voice. "Skulk around so no-one notices us, pretend we're not really there, and then leave. And that's going to help us find Carson, how?"

"Do you have a better plan, Rodney?" John asked.

"No," Rodney admitted reluctantly. "But I just wanted to make sure that I knew all the drawbacks to the plan we're using."

"Jada could find Dr Beckett," Jinto said quietly, from the corner where he'd taken up residence.

"What?" Rodney asked, abruptly.

"Jada could find Dr Beckett," Jinto said more forcefully. "He is good at finding things."

"We'd noticed," John said sardonically.

"It is true that some of my people have found the chicu useful in searching for people and for things. Much like you use dogs on earth, I believe."

"How do they find people?" Elizabeth asked. "Is it by scent?"

"That is one way," Jinto replied eagerly. "But they are intelligent and can use other senses too, like hearing, and sight. They are good at it too. Almost as good as Ronon." He earned himself a brief grin from the big man.

"So we take that creature to this God-forsaken planet, and then chase around after it, like something out of a French farce," Rodney said.

"It's worth a try," John said, grinning properly for the first time since Carson went missing. "What's the worst that can happen?"

"The monkey get's us all killed," Rodney said morosely.

"And thank-you, Mr Optimism," John said, over his shoulder as he moved towards the equipment that was lying waiting for their use. "That's what I love about you, Rodney, your unfailing good humour."

Ronon snorted as he hefted a gun into his arms, checking it out to make sure it was in working order.

"Lock and load," he said, with a grin on his face.

"They've definitely been watching too many DVDs," Elizabeth said to herself.

"Well," Rodney said with a sigh. "I suppose I'd better go with you too. So that when your brawn fails to win the day, yet again. My brain can come to the rescue. So that when the monkey business ends in failure, at least I'll be on hand to save Carson."

"And now I remember the other thing I love about you, Rodney," John said sarcastically. "Your modesty."

"Just bring Carson back safely," Elizabeth said, cutting through the bickering. "And I want the rest of you in one piece too."

"Yes, ma'am," John said with a grin, as he headed towards the PuddleJumper, Jinto and Jada in tow. "I'll even bring back the monkey safely."

The chicu beared it's teeth at him, and made a chattering sound. Jinto grinned. "Jada has promised to bring back Colonel Sheppard safely too."

With a ripple of laughter following them, the group made their way to the Jumper ready to go in search of Carson, just hoping against hope that he was till alive.


	20. Floating in the Air

As they entered the building, Carson was reminded of some of the more disreputable pubs he had frequented in his student days. Michael had pushed him through the door, in front of him, and it took a moment for Carson's eyes to adjust to the dark and smoky atmosphere.

In the darkened corners of the room, a wide variety of strange and exotic creatures lurked. In their time in the Pegasus Galaxy, the team had mostly encountered aliens that weren't too alien. It was obvious that the aliens they had encountered came from the same, or at least a similar, gene pool. But the aliens in front of Carson came from a very different gene pool.

In the corner, playing a game that looked suspiciously like poker, were a group of fish! Well that's what it looked like a first glance. Looking closer, Carson realized that they were not actually fish, but they did have a scale-covered skin, which gave them an aquatic look.

The blue-coloured big cats in the corner made him look twice too. As he watched, one hissed and unsheathed it claws. Carson sneezed. It seemed that he was allergic to these cats as well as the domestic variety found on Earth.

Before Carson could look further, Michael pushed him towards a table near the back of the room, behind one of the many pillars. It seemed to be an area where the miasma of smoke seemed at its most dense. Once they reached the table, Michael pushed the doctor in the chest, forcing him to sit down on one of the chairs. The force of the push almost made Carson and the chair topple to the floor, but the Scot managed to grab onto the table to save himself.

"Why have you brought me here?" he asked, as Michael sat opposite him.

"You ask a lot of questions for a prisoner," Michael replied. Just at that moment the bar-tender (well, at least that is what Carson assumed he was) appeared. Without a word, he placed two glasses in front of Carson and Michael, and filled them with a drink. It almost looked like whisky – a good single malt. But Carson knew that was just wishful thinking on his part. Michael, his eyes on Carson, lifted the drink to his mouth and tossed it back in one go. His eyes taunted Carson to do the same. Cautiously, Carson lifted the glass to his lips and took a tentative taste. The bar-tender said something to Michael in a language that Carson couldn't begin to comprehend. They both laughed. Spurred on by the laughter, Carson gulped the drink down, feeling it make its fiery progress down his throat. He spluttered slightly, and then swallowed rapidly to try to ease his burning airway.

Almost immediately, Carson could feel the effects of the drink, or whatever else might have been in the glass. With an almost clinical detachment, he noted as his extremities started to feel strangely detached. He lifted up his hand and looked at it with a puzzled frown. It didn't feel like it belonged to him. He let it drop back onto the table, but made clumsy by the drink, his hand caught the glass and sent it crashing to the floor. He watched it fall with fascinated concentration, then giggled as it shattered on the floor. Michael watched the doctor with a smile on his face. The smile was not one of amusement. It was far too vicious for that. It was the smile of someone enjoying another's misfortune.

oOoOoOo

Teyla sat down beside John, and then glanced cautiously behind them. Confirming that no-one was within earshot, she leaned closer to John.

"Do you think it is wise to have brought Jinto?" she asked. "He is just a boy."

"It's a risk," John agreed. "But I didn't like the idea of having to put Rodney in charge of Chica."

Teyla smiled, but there was still a look of concern in her eyes.

"Look," John continued. "I'd have left him behind if I thought it'd do any good. But I saw the look on his face. He would've found a way to come with us. He's just the age to think this is all one big adventure."

"Some people never grow out of that," Teyla said pointedly. John just grinned in response.

oOoOoOo

Carson felt as if he was floating. His whole body seemed weightless, lighter than air. He started to hum a tune to himself, then stopped, scratching his head. He couldn't remember what the tune was. Then he giggled.

"I'm floating in the air," he sang, his voice still sounding on the edge of laughter. "I'm like the snowman," he shouted, to no-one in particular. 

Suddenly realizing that his voice was louder than he intended, Carson looked round guiltily, like a small boy caught shouting in class. But there was no-one there, no-one to hear him. He frowned.

"How did I get here?" he asked himself. "I was in that pub, with Michael. But I don't remember coming here?" He sat down in the corner of the empty room, a puzzled frown now very evident on his face. As he tried to figure things out, a large yawn suddenly over took him. He rubbed at his eyes, then curled up on his side, like a child. Before long, he was snoring gently in his sleep.

oOoOoOo

By the time they arrived at the planet, John was literally chomping at the bit. He hated being inactive, especially when one of his people was in danger. Carson was a friend, but he was more than that. He was one of the people John was duty-bound to protect. And just at that moment, John felt he had failed in that task.

His restlessness was obvious to the others in the Puddle Jumper with him. He fidgeted with his jacket, pulling it down every few minutes. However, being the consummate pilot, his agitation did not show in his piloting.

As they went into orbit above the planet, Rodney sat in the co-pilot's seat, his eyes alight with interest. All around them was a vast array of ships, of all shapes and sizes. Most of them looked like they'd been cobbled together from a variety of other ships.

"Most of these look Ancient in design," he said, after studying them closely. "Even though they look like they've been customized almost beyond recognition, they're definitely Ancient parts to them. I wonder where they got them from."

"Stole them," Ronon said, succinctly. "The types you meet on this planet don't buy things. If they see a shiny new toy they steal it."

"Charming," Rodney replied.

"When will they contact us?" John asked Ronon. Before they'd arrived, the Satedan had explained they would be contacted from the planet and given co-ordinates for landing.

Before Ronon could reply, a disembodied voice reverberated round the Jumper.

"Alien craft, please identify yourself," the strangely accented voice said.

"Since when do you care for identities?" Ronon responded sharply.

Jinto looked at the big man, a look of frightened amazement on his face. But Ronon just gave him a grin, and winked at the boy, who managed a smile in return.

"Do you think it's a good idea to antagonize the locals?" Rodney asked.

"Wait 'n' see," Ronon responded.

The voice returned. "You are cleared to land," the voice said, then reeled off the co-ordinates for landing. 

Ronon turned to Rodney, his eyebrows raised. He didn't need to say "I told you so." His body language said it for him.

"Jinto," John said, turning to the boy. "You stay close to Ronon. Okay?" 

The boy nodded and turned to look at the Runner. Ronon put his hand on the boy's shoulder, and Jinto grinned. The chicu, who was perched on Jinto's other shoulder, started chattering, very pointedly at Ronon. Ronon took out one of his knives, and ran his finger along the blade. Jada watched him, squeaked once, and then hid its face in Jinto's neck.

"And no-one is to wander off on their own," John continued, looking directly at Rodney as he spoke.

"Pick on me, why don't you," Rodney muttered.

John ignored him, and continued. "We need to find out if Carson has been here, and if anyone has any idea where he is now."

"Don't be too obvious," Ronon added. "And don't be too polite. People here are suspicious if anyone's too nice."

"Okay," John said. "Let's go and see if we can find Carson, and bring him home."

oOoOoOo

Michael had been monitoring the traffic to and from the planet. He knew that John Sheppard would not leave the doctor behind. So it was only a matter of time before they came for him.

Although this planet was frequented by criminals who were paranoid about security, it was also frequented by others who were very good at breaking all those security measures – for a price, of course. However, Michael had found that death was an effective means of payment. A dead man couldn't hound you for an unpaid debt.

As he entered the room, Carson looked up at him with unfocused eyes. A puzzled frown creased the Scot's brow and he looked at the Wraith quizzically.

"Are you okay, lad?" he asked. "You look like you've been in a fight with a fire."

Michael snarled at him. Compassion from the doctor, even when he was out of his mind with the potent drug the Wraith had fed him, made Michael's skin crawl. He did not need compassion from this man, or any other man for that matter. All he needed from a man was his source of life. That was all that men were good for.

"I am fine," the Wraith growled. "But you are not, and soon your friends will not be either."

"What do you mean, lad?" Carson asked, his befuddled brain not comprehending the words, or the threat behind them.

"That drug, which makes you feel so good, is slowly killing you," Michael said with a note of triumph in his voice. "It makes you pliable, and easy to manipulate. But once you stop taking it . . . . Well, let's just say, your body will react rather violently, and painfully."

"And my friends?" Carson asked, still not fully understanding the Wraith's words.

"They will have to watch you die, slowly," Michael said. 


	21. Not Here

_Sorry for the delay in this, my friends. My sister is visiting me from Kenya over Christmas, and so I've been slightly distracted. Hope you enjoy_

oOoOoOo

As soon as they entered the bar, John could see why Ronon had likened it to the Mos Eisley Cantina in Star Wars. The characters that frequented it seemed just as disreputable as the ones in the movie.

However, he didn't let his eyes linger on the strange and varied mix of characters he saw before him. He wasn't looking for strangers; he was looking for the familiar features of Dr Carson Beckett. For a moment, he thought he saw the familiar blue eyes gazing at him across the room, filled with their usual compassion. But he realized quickly, that his own eyes were playing tricks on him. The eyes belonged to a painting, hanging on the bar's rather soiled walls.

Ronon had obviously been scanning the room too. And with his added height, had an advantage over the others.

"He's not here," he said, decisively.

"Not here, as in "not here"?" Rodney asked, indicating the room with his hands. "Or not here, as in "NOT HERE"?" This time Rodney swept his arms around more widely.

"I mean, he's not here," Ronon replied, raising his eyebrows at the scientist.

"Have you any idea where he might be?" Teyla asked, eyeing the various doors that led off the main room of the bar.

"Those doors over there," Ronon said, pointing to his left, "lead to the gaming rooms."

"I doubt if Carson will be there," Teyla said, with a quirk of her eyebrows.

"Those lead to the entertainment rooms," Ronon continued, pointing to the other side of the room.

"Do they," John said, sounding half interested.

Rodney thumped him on the arm. "Concentrate!" the Canadian said.

"And those," Ronon continued, pointing to the far end of the room, "lead to a whole load of "guest" rooms, that you can hire for as long as you need to."

"That seems like a good place to start, then," John said, heading towards the doors Ronon had just indicated.

Before the group managed to get half-way towards the doors, a large, hairy man stepped in front of them. He was the sort that made Ronon look neat and tidy, and although he wasn't as tall at the Satedan, he made up for it in width.

"How much for the boy?" the man asked, abruptly, pointing at Jinto.

"He's not for sale," John said, immediately.

"But how much for him?" the man persisted.

"He's not for sale," Ronon rumbled, placing his not inconsiderable bulk between Jinto and the man.

"Everyone has a price," the man sneered.

Ronon reached out a large hand, and seemingly without effort, he grabbed the man by the furry collar of the coat he was wearing and lifted him off the ground. Once the man's eye line was level with Ronon's, the tall man leaned forward until his face was only inches away from the other man's.

"We said he is not for sale," Ronon stated, pronouncing each word carefully, as if he was speaking to someone who wasn't very bright. "If that's not clear enough for you, then maybe this'll help."

With that, he head-butted the man, giving him what Carson would have called a "Glasgow Kiss". The man crumpled to the floor, twitched once, and then lay still.

It said a lot about the type of bar that it was, when no-one seemed to bat an eyelid at what had happened. All the patrons simply ignored the fallen man, even to the extent that they stepped over him, when they needed to get passed his prone figure.

The team made it to the doors without further interference. Ronon kept Jinto close by his side all the time, and the boy seemed willing to be kept there. Teyla took up guard at his other side, and with John and Rodney close by, the young lad seemed to relax. John glanced at him, trying to assess how the Athosian was coping. Jinto's eyes were wide, and John saw both fear and excitement reflected there. As he looked at the boy, Jinto's eyes met John's. He nodded acknowledgement of what he saw in the boy's eyes, and the unflinching way that the youngster met his fear.

Reaching the door, John opened it and ushered the others through, as he and Ronon kept watch. As the door closed behind them, Jinto wasn't the only one who let out an audible sigh of relief, even if his adolescent sigh was very definitely the loudest.

Allowing the boy a moment to recover, John turned to Rodney.

"Anything showing up on the life-signs detector?" he asked, nodding at the device Rodney had taken out of his pocket.

"Nothing," Rodney said with an edge of frustration in his voice. "There must be something here that jams the signal."

"Most people here don't want to be found," Ronon replied.

"Okay, Jado," John said, looking at the chicu that had been hiding in Jinto's rucksack. "Let's see if you can find Carson."

The little creature chattered at him angrily and then hid its face in Jinto's neck.

"His name's Jada," Jinto corrected.

"And he seems really keen to do as you tell him," Rodney added helpfully.

"Thank you, Rodney," John said, turning to the other man, and giving him a smack on the head.

"What was that for?" Rodney asked, as the chicu chattered in apparent delight.

"I just felt like it," John replied.

Teyla gave the two men a pointed look, before smiling at Jinto.

"You seem to forget, John," she said. "The reason we brought Jinto with us was because Jada would obey only him."

John looked slightly abashed at this reminder, while Ronon just snorted his amusement.

"Okay, Jinto," John responded, trying to recover the situation. "Could you ask Jada," – he stressed the final syllable – "to find Carson for us."

The boy grinned widely, and then turned to his pet. He took its small face between his hands and gently forced the chicu to look into his eyes.

"Jada," he said softly, but firmly. "Find Dr Beckett, nice Dr Beckett." As he said this, he lifted a discarded glove they had managed to find that Carson had used.

The little creature sniffed it delicately, then turned to Jinto and chattered happily to him for a moment; it then put out its long, delicate tongue and gave the boy a lick on the ear before it scampered off.

If the situation hadn't been so critical, it would have been amusing to see the four adults and one boy chasing after the tiny creature as it scampered from door to door. Sometimes it would stop, and cock its head to the side as if it were listening. Then its long tongue would flick out as if it was sampling the air, before it took off in hot pursuit of whatever trace of Carson it was following.

After half an hour, the little chicu stopped decisively in front of a door, and then turned to Jinto and chattered determinedly.

"Is Carson in there?" Rodney asked, almost before the creature had stopped chattering.

"All Jada says is that his presence is strong there," Jinto said, a slight frown forming between his brows.

John nodded to Ronon, and both men drew their guns. Teyla shepherded Jinto and his pet to the relative safety of the far side of the corridor, and drew her own gun. Rodney studied the life signs detector as if he could make it work by sheer force of will.

John nodded again, and Ronon kicked in the door with one forceful blow. The two men then jumped through the new opening, guns at the ready, sweeping the room for potential dangers.

The room was depressingly empty.

"All clear," John said, his tone half-hearted.

The others joined them in the room, scanning the room themselves in the hope they might find something the others missed.

"Are you sure that thing knows what it's doing?" Ronon asked.

It was Rodney who answered. "It does," he said simply, holding up a power bar wrapper.

"Carson put that in his pocket, just before Michael took him," Rodney said, sounding depressed. "I know it's the same one, because he ripped it open funnily." As Rodney spoke, he held up the wrapper, which formed a spiral.

"Damn," Ronon said, thudding his fist into the wall in frustration. The echo of his disappointment reverberated round the room.

oOoOoOo

The Lanteans' progress worried Michael. He had not anticipated that they would arrive quite this quickly, or that they would be able to trace them as easily. He had Carson well hidden, for now, but he knew it would only be a matter of time before some low-life on this planet betrayed his whereabouts.

The ship he had planned to use for his getaway was still several days from being ready. It still needed extensive repairs, and although it could fly, it wouldn't be any match for the firepower his enemies, all of them, could throw at him.

He needed to bide his time, be patient and hope that the good doctor's friends would not find them. But patience was not something Michael had in abundance.

He glanced round at the doctor. The Scot was sleeping like a baby, curled up on the bench in the corner of the room. He was sleeping off the latest round of drugs Michael had fed him.

The Wraith had been more than economical with the truth when he spoke to Beckett earlier. The drugs wouldn't kill him, well, at least not straight away. He'd only said that to see the fear spring into the Scot's eyes. Michael enjoyed fear, in others anyway.

But his words hadn't been complete lies. The drug would kill the doctor, just not immediately. As well as making the addict pliable and open to suggestion, the drug also gave them great bursts of energy. In his most manic phase, Carson had put together a form of the retrovirus, that was, he had assured Michael, the first stage towards converting the semi-Wraith into a full Wraith. Michael believed him. The drug made it difficult for the doctor to hide anything.

Now Carson was sleeping off the exhaustion caused by the burst of continuous activity. That was how the drug killed. It caused the addict to over-strain their body, working more frantically than nature ever intended, more frantically than even Rodney McKay at his most desperate. The exhaustion that followed would increase each time, until eventually their body just gave out under the strain.

Michael turned and looked at the ashen face of the sleeping doctor. He, better than most, knew how strong the doctor was, both physically and mentally. They'd already fought a battle of wills, and although the Wraith had won that battle, Michael did not feel that victory in the war would automatically be his. There was a stubborn, hidden strength to the man. A strength that Michael hoped would allow the doctor to finish perfecting the retrovirus before the drug consumed all his strength and left the Scot too weak to live.


	22. Through the Wall

The chicu was tireless. Even though it was such a small creature it seemed to have an endless supply of energy. For three long hours, it led them from corridor to corridor circling in a seemingly random progress through the complex.

As the team stopped for a moment, Rodney took a power bar out of his pocket, and demolished it, almost before he had pulled the wrapper off. As he finished, the wrapper drifted to the floor. The little creature came over to where he was standing, and picked up the wrapper carefully with its tiny hands and turned to the man chattering up at him, its tone admonishing.

"Alright, then," Rodney said, sighing, "I'll clear it up, if you insist." He took the wrapper and stuffed it in his pocket.

Jada made an encouraging noise and then turned towards Jinto, ready to resume its search. But the chicu stopped mid-turn, before turning back towards Rodney. Its eyes were not on the man, but rather they were focused on the wall behind the scientist. The little creature turned to look up at Jinto, its eyes huge in its tiny face. It made a little chirruping noise, and then turned back towards the wall.

"Jada says, Dr Beckett is in there," Jinto said, pointing to the smooth surface of the wall.

"Didn't I tell you it was leading us on a wild goose chase," Rodney said

"Don't dismiss it, Rodney," John admonished, moving towards the wall, searching its smooth surface with his hands. "It was right before."

Just as he finished speaking, his hand encountered an indentation in the wall. He glanced back at Ronon, who nodded his acknowledgment and drew his gun from its holster on his hip.

Teyla also readied her gun, and turned to watch the corridor, guarding their backs. She also drew Jinto behind her, with the little chicu following his master, and cuddling into the boy's arms. Jada's large eyes looked at the weapons, and then looked up at Jinto with a worried chirrup. Jinto stroked the little creature's ears reassuringly, but he looked worried as well. Up until now, it had been an adventure. Even the last time they had burst into a room, it had seemed exciting. But this time, Jinto was very much aware of the tension emanating from the adults around him. Even Rodney had drawn his gun, and was pointing it, in a slightly vague fashion, at the wall.

"Everyone ready?" John asked quietly. They all nodded. "On my mark," he continued. Then he used his fingers to count down from three.

oOoOoOo

Michael monitored their progress through the complex. He had managed to acquire a very useful device that could pinpoint individuals even within such a populated complex as the one they were currently in. It was similar to the one he had seen used on Atlantis – only better. He allowed himself a self-satisfied smile before he turned to the prone figure of the unconscious doctor. He did feel a moment of frustration that he couldn't exact his ultimate revenge on the Scot. But at least he had what he wanted. The good doctor had worked beyond exhaustion, under the influence of the drug, to create a retrovirus that would make Michael completely Wraith again. To eliminate the human elements that had lingered in his DNA.

Now Beckett was slumped on the ground, somewhere between unconscious and comatose. Ideally, Michael would have liked to finish the work the drug had started. To make sure that the medic could never again tamper with who he was. But time was against him. The doctor's friends were already just a partition away. He couldn't linger to see if the man survived. He would have to leave Beckett's friends to pick up the shattered pieces.

At that moment, his thoughts were loudly interrupted as the hidden door to the room was thrown open, and Sheppard and Ronon burst through, their guns leveled and ready to fire.

Michael met John's eyes. Both pairs of eyes reflected the hatred one felt for the other. Their linked gaze was broken as Ronon let out a bellow and threw himself at the Wraith. Michael allowed himself a smile that didn't even attempt to reach his eyes, then with a wave, that enraged Ronon still further, he vanished through a hidden exit to the room.

As John and Ronon pounded uselessly on the now closed doorway, Teyla and Rodney hurried over to the slumped figure of Carson. Carefully and efficiently, Teyla started to check Carson's vital signs. She could almost hear his voice in her head as she went through the checklist he had given them. Somehow it seemed almost obscene to have to perform these checks on Carson.

With a final, frustrated thump against the wall, John admitted defeat.

"He's gone," he said, his voice echoing his frustration. Ronon grunted his annoyance.

"How's Carson?" John continued, turning to the others. He felt a moment of panic as he saw a look of fear in Teyla's normally calm eyes. "He's not . . .?" John's voice faded away before he could finish the question.

"No," Teyla responded. "But his pulse is weak and his breathing shallow. We need to get him back to Atlantis as soon as possible."

"But what about Michael?" Ronon asked. "Are we just going to let him get away?"

"I don't think we have much choice," John said with a sigh. "We can't go after him and risk losing Carson. Okay," he continued. "Let's get back to the 'Jumper and then back home."

oOoOoOo

Michael made it to his ship without hindrance. He half expected Ronon's intimidating presence to follow him down the corridor, but there was no sign of the Satedan. As he slipped through the entrance to his ship, and settled behind the controls, Michael breathed a sigh of relief.

Yet again, he had managed to elude capture by his greatest enemies. But his victory was not complete, not this time. His greatest foe was still alive, if only just. The man who had twice tried to alter Michael, so that the very fibre of his being was different, who had seemed his friend, and had yet betrayed him.

All Michael's instincts said to launch his ship and then blast the Puddle Jumper out of the sky. But he knew that wasn't possible. The repairs to his ship had been more or less completed, but it was still not fully battle-ready. If he engaged the Puddle Jumper, it was the Wraith who would likely end up limping home.

But that didn't mean Michael was giving up his wish for vengeance. He was merely postponing it. Until the next time, and until the odds were more favorably stacked.

"I'll get you yet, Carson Beckett," the Wraith whispered under his breath as his ship moved lazily into orbit round the planet, preparing for departure. "And when I do, you will suffer yet more for what you've done to me. You and all your friends."

oOoOoOo

More than once on the journey back to the Puddle Jumper, John was very glad of Ronon's strength. Carson was solidly built, and his unconscious form was a dead weight to try to carry. Ronon had taken the task upon himself. He shifted the doctor's body easily from one position to another as he half-carried, half-dragged him along the corridors.

Jinto was in the middle of the group, cuddling his pet chicu, seeking comfort from its warm body as well as giving the little creature comfort too. The boy's eyes were huge in his face. John felt sympathy for the boy. He had not had the sheltered upbringing that many boys of his age on earth would have enjoyed. But John still wished that he could have spared the boy more nightmares. But without Jinto, without his chicu, they would not have found Carson.

John was glad when they made it back to the Jumper. They had been getting a lot of strange looks from some very strange creatures on their way. Only a threatening look from Ronon had stopped one of the creatures challenging them, and Teyla's gun had stopped another from asking questions.

So, all in all, it was relief to get back to the safety of the Puddle Jumper, and to be able to slip into the familiar seat behind the controls. By the time Teyla and Ronon had got Carson settled, and as comfortable as possible, John was ready to take off. Ready to go home.

oOoOoOo

The first time Carson drew closer to consciousness, it was Teyla who was watching over him. He tried hard to focus, to see beyond the gentle smile on her face, but he was too exhausted to do anything other than return her smile with a tentative one of his own before unconsciousness overtook him again.

"How is he?" John asked Teyla as Carson closed his eyes again.

"He is holding his own," she replied, choosing her words with care.

"That doesn't sound too encouraging," Rodney chipped in. "Is he going to die on us or not?"

"I am not sure," Teyla replied, sighing as she spoke. "I can find no physical reason for his weakness, but it is almost as if his body is worn out, and does not have the strength to fight."

"What the hell did Michael do to him?" John asked, running his fingers through his hair as he spoke.

"I don't know," Ronon responded. "But I know what I'd like to do to him."

"I'd be right beside ya, big guy," John said, slapping the other man on the shoulder.

"And I'd be right behind you," Rodney said, making the others laugh, unintentionally.

"You're safer when you're in front of us, Rodney," John drawled. "At least then we can see which way you gun is pointed."

"Thank you very much, Mr Sharp Shooter," Rodney retorted. "You're the one that shot me, remember."

"Yep," Sheppard grinned. "I never miss what I'm aiming for."

Ronon snorted his approval.

Teyla simply shook her head.

oOoOoOo

The next time Carson woke, there was a heated discussion ongoing.

"So you see," Rodney said, in the voice he used to explain things to the hard of understanding (or at least those he thought of as being hard of understanding). "They eat lots of rubbish, like haggis, and black pudding, and deep-fried mars bars."

"Don't knock haggis," Carson grumbled, still not fully awake, but feeling the compulsion to defend his national dish. "It goes great with neeps and tatties."

They all turned to look at him, just as his eyes started to close again.

As he started to drift back into the grey world of unconsciousness, he heard Ronon's voice rumbling.

"What are neeps and tatties?" the Satedan asked, his interest in food never far from the surface.

Carson smiled when he heard Rodney's reply.

"It's what the Scots call potatoes and turnips," he answered Ronon. "It's to make the dish sound more exotic."

Carson couldn't think of haggis, neeps and tatties as exotic. They were just one of his favourite meals.

Just as unconsciousness started to claim him again, the Scot had a sudden thought. He knew there was something he wanted to say to the others, but his mind was so befuddled, that he couldn't think straight.

"I'm dying," he suddenly mumbled, as he remembered Michael's words.

"What?" Rodney said, leaning closer to hear what his friend was saying.

"I'm dying," Carson repeated. "Michael gave me a drug, and it's killing me."

"Don't be ridiculous," Rodney said, his voice tinged with fear. "I know you feel awful now. I know what withdrawal feels like, but you'll get better, though it might not feel like it just now."

"No," Carson said, more strongly now. "You don't understand. Michael said I would die. He said the drug would kill me, eventually."

Rodney turned to Teyla with real fear in his eyes.

"You're not going to die, Carson," he said. "We won't let you. We need you around to save us when Captain Invincible here," he motioned to John, "gets us into our next exciting adventure. And only you know about all my infirmities."

"Did Michael say what this drug is?" Teyla asked, trying to dampen down her own fear.

"No," Carson answered, his eyes fluttering shut as he spoke. "But I took a sample . ." His voice trailed off as he slipped fully into unconsciousness.

"Where's the sample?" Rodney asked, shaking Carson. "What did you do with it?"

When he got no answer, the scientist started to frantically search Carson's prone body. Teyla started to search through the jacket Carson had been wearing, which she had removed to make him more comfortably.

"Have you found anything yet?" John asked, from the front seat. He wouldn't allow himself to think that Michael might have won. And even though they'd managed to rescue Carson, the Wraith had still defeated them.

"I have found something," Teyla said, but her voice was tinged with a note of regret. John turned to see why. In her hand, held carefully between two fingers, was a vial that had held the sample of the drug. But the vial was now in several jagged pieces, and the liquid it had contained had seeped out and soaked into the lining of Carson's jacket.


	23. Withdrawal

Ronon leaned forward and sniffed the jacket. He then picked it up and licked the soaked material.

"That's disgusting!" Rodney responded, his face reflecting his words.

"It's Blupol," Ronon said, as if that explained it all.

"And what is Blupol?" John asked.

"It's a stimulant, makes you able to run faster, run further," Ronon replied.

"You used it?" Teyla asked.

"Sometimes," Ronon replied.

"So it doesn't kill you?" Rodney asked hopefully.

"It can do," Ronon replied with his usual brevity.

Teyla and John exchanged an exasperated look. Ronon shrugged in response.

"It's not the drug itself that kills," he expanded. "It's the withdrawal. The drug makes you able to push your body beyond its natural limits, and then when you stop taking it, you feel real weak. If you've pushed yourself too hard, it can damage your heart, and then during the withdrawal, your heart just packs in."

Rodney turned to Carson's still body, a worried frown on his face.

"Do you think Carson pushed himself too hard?" he asked.

No-one answered. No-one could. But in the silence of their heart, they felt a deep fear for their friend.

oOoOoOo

One of the few things that Elizabeth Weir hated about her job was the fact that often she was confined to Atlantis when she would rather be out there – doing something.

She knew it was necessary for her to be in the city. She knew that it wouldn't be right for her to risk her life in exploring this new galaxy. But there were times when she wished she could join John and the others.

This was one of those times. Most of the people she was closest to were out there somewhere. They were risking their lives rescuing their friend, and her friend. And she wished that she could join them, to be part of saving Carson, not to be sitting here worrying about all of them.

"Dr Weir," Radek's voice reached her from just beyond her door. She forced a smile on her face and turned towards the Czech scientist. "We have heard from Colonel Sheppard." He paused for a moment, thinking. "Oh, yes," he continued, as he caught the questioning look she gave him. "They have managed to rescue Dr Beckett and they are returning to Atlantis with him, now."

"Did they say how Carson was?" She was almost afraid to ask.

"He has been given some kind of drug, a stimulant," Radek said, frowning. "Ronon said it can be dangerous, but he is still alive, if mostly unconscious."

"Thank you, Radek," Elizabeth said, giving the scientist a warm smile. He smiled back shyly, before taking off his glasses to clean an imaginary speck from the lenses.

oOoOoOo

When they eventually arrived home, they had quite a reception committee. They had barely landed before the Jumper was swarming with medical personal, all anxious to check up on their boss.

Halling was there, looking anxiously through the melee of bodies for his son. Jinto ran straight to his father, relief on his face to be home and to be safe within the hug his father gave him.

Teyla stopped momentarily to put a hand on Halling's arm.

"You should be proud of Jinto," she said to the tall man. "He was a great help to us in finding Dr Beckett."

Halling gave his son a proud smile, and then ruffled his hair.

Elizabeth was there to greet them too.

"How is he?" she asked John, her eyes on Carson's prone form.

"He's woken a few times," John said. "But we haven't got much sense out of him. He's been shaking for the last half hour or so."

Elizabeth's eyes reflected her concern, a concern echoed in John's. They turned and watched as the medical staff, working with their usual efficiency, put Carson gently on a gurney and headed for the Infirmary.

oOoOoOo

She realized another thing she hated was the waiting. Elizabeth Weir was not a natural "waiter". She liked to take action, be pro-active. But so often since her arrival on Atlantis, she had had to wait. Wait to see if the teams all made it back safely. Wait to see if those injured could be patched up. Wait and see if she was going to be hauled over the coals by those in charge back on earth. And now she was waiting to see if Carson had the strength to overcome this assault by Michael.

She and John had visited the Infirmary earlier in the day, just a couple of hours after the team had brought the doctor back. Rodney had been there, sitting at his friend's side. Elizabeth had to smile. It reminded her of when the positions had been reversed and Rodney had been the one going through the agony of withdrawal as Carson quietly watched over him.

Seeing them arrive, the young doctor on duty, Dr Cole, came hurrying over to them.

"How is he?" John asked.

"He's holding his own," she replied, not sounding as confident as either John or Elizabeth had hoped she would. "He is strong, both physically and mentally," the young doctor continued. "And if anyone can get through this, it's Carson."

Elizabeth hadn't been sure at the time if her fighting words had been for their benefit or her own. The young woman looked as anxious as Elizabeth felt.

Rodney also hated waiting. Impatience was his middle name. He thought, he talked, he even moved quickly. Slowing down irritated him, and sitting here at Carson's bedside, waiting for his friend to come through his withdrawal, all but killed him. He wasn't sure how Carson himself managed it. He'd seen the medic sit for days beside a critically ill patient, showing concern, gently caring for them, waiting patiently for them to heal. Rodney knew it was something he most definitely was not cut out to do. In some ways he envied Carson that ability, that inner peace, that allowed him to sit patiently, waiting.

Jumping to his feet, he turned round to see if he could find any medical staff, to demand an update on his friend's progress. He wasn't sure how they were meant to know any more now than they did when he had last made such a demand – about 15 minutes ago – but it made him feel better. Before he could head off in the direction of the nearest doctor, a quiet voice stopped him.

"Off to pester my staff again, Rodney," said a familiar lilting voice.

"Carson?" Rodney said, turning back to his friend.

"Aye," the other man replied, sleepily.

"How are you feeling?" Rodney asked, hopefully.

"Shaky," Carson said. "Like I've been to hell and back."

"That just about describes it," said Dr Cole, approaching his bed. "You gave us quite a scare Carson."

"I gave myself quite a scare, too," he responded, with an attempt at a laugh, which turned into a cough.

Dr Cole quickly handed him a glass of water. "Sip it slowly," she admonished.

"Yes, Mum," Carson said, with a cheeky grin. The young doctor simply shook her head, and went to check the read-out on the equipment attached to Carson.

He turned to watch her, trying to see passed her to read the equipment himself. But his eyes wouldn't quite focus.

"Am I doing OK?" he asked.

"You're doing fine," she replied. "Now just rest, and let me do my job."

Carson grinned back, but obediently lay back on his bed, and let his eyes flutter shut. The brief conversation had exhausted him.

"Should he tire that quickly?" Rodney asked, worried about Carson all over again.

"Probably," the doctor replied. "From everything Ronon told us about this drug, it doesn't seem abnormal. But remember, we've never dealt with this before."

"But Carson is always dealing with things he's never dealt with before, and he seems to know what he's doing," Rodney said.

"Yes," Dr Cole replied. "But then Carson is special."

Even Rodney couldn't think of a reply to that.

oOoOoOo

When Teyla and Ronon came by later, it was John who was sitting by Carson's bed. Without conscious thought or prior planning, his friends had decided that Carson should always have someone sitting with him. He had sat with them on so many occasions as they recovered, his twinkling eyes and ready smile helping them to recover more quickly. They felt it was only right they should do the same for him.

So it was John, his book propped up on his knee, who was taking his turn on Carson-company duty.

"How is he?" Ronon asked.

"Sleeping," John answered, obviously. At Teyla's exasperated sigh, John grinned. "He's doing OK," he continued. "The Doc says his heart is getting stronger, and his lungs are recovering. She expects him to pull through."

"That is a relief," Teyla said, a wide smile splitting her face.

"What's a relief?" Rodney asked, joining the others.

"Carson is going to make it," Ronon said.

"Oh, yes, that," Rodney said. "Heard that earlier," he continued dismissively. John and Teyla exchanged an amused glance. The scientist was obviously pre-occupied by something, now that his friend was out of danger.

"Did you know that drug Michael gave Carson?" he started.

"Yes," John interrupted. "You mean that one that almost killed him."

Ronon snorted.

"Yes, yes," Rodney said, waving his hand dismissively. "Well, the medics re-created it so we could help Carson and Radek and I've been testing it on the mice."

"So now we have stoned mice rampaging around the base?" John asked, his eyebrow quirking with amusement.

"Yes," Rodney said, not really listening to what the other man was saying. "And it reacted with their body to make the bio-scanner work really well. We could see even their tiny little blood vessels." Rodney's enthusiasm made him oblivious to the amusement of the others.

"The voodoo doctors are all going crazy over it," Rodney finished off with a big grin. "It's going to make their job much easier, and they need all the help they can get."

"I heard that," Carson's voice came from behind John.

"Hi Carson," Rodney said, leaning round John and giving his friend a little wave.

"How are you feeling, Carson?" Teyla asked, going to the doctor's side.

"I'm better than I was," Carson said. "I can at least stay awake for more than 2 minutes at a time," he continued with a grin.

Teyla patted his arm, and returned his smile.

"And what was that about the mice, Rodney?" Carson asked.

"Well," Rodney said, still full of enthusiasm at their find. "You know that drug Michael gave you."

"Yes, Rodney," Carson said ironically. "I do have a vague recollection of it."

"Well, it makes the bio-scanners 102 more efficient," Rodney said, with a self-satisfied grin.

"And we've got Michael to thank for it," Carson said with a slight grimace at the thought.

"And we'd never have discovered it, if he'd not kidnapped you," Rodney continued with his usual insensitivity.

"I'll bear that in mind the next time someone drugs me and forces me to turn them into a blood-sucking killer," Carson said, his voice tinged with sadness.

"There was nothing else you could do, Carson," Elizabeth said, coming to join the others. "Your staff have examined the drug thoroughly. As well as the useful side-effect Rodney has already told you about," she continued, with a smile at the scientist. "It also drains the person who takes it of their free-will. You couldn't have done anything else, Carson."

"I know, lass," he said. "But I just wish . . ." his voice trailed off.

Before anyone could respond, they were distracted by a commotion from just outside the Infirmary.

"But Jada wants to see him," Jinto's voice could be heard complaining loudly.

John glanced at Carson who nodded. "Let them in," John called out to his security men who had stopped Jinto's progress.

Looking very pleased, Jinto came in carrying Jada in his arms.

"Hi Dr Beckett," he said, grinning at the physician. "Jada wanted to see for himself that you were well again."

"Did he now?" Carson responded with a grin. "Well, as you can see, I'm doing fine, so Jada won't have to worry himself anymore."

The little creature gave a happy chirrup, then made a rapid jump from Jinto's arms onto the bed beside Carson. He started to rub himself against the doctor's arm, almost purring as he did so. Carson reached out with his other hand and started to stroke the little creature. Snuggling in closer, the chicu wound his tail round Carson's wrist, and then settled down, snuggled in his arms.

"I think Jada is pleased you are well, Dr Beckett," Jinto said, grinning at the doctor.

"As we all are," Elizabeth said, with a warm smile at the Scot.

"Even the mice are glad," Rodney said, with a quick smile at his friend. Once again laughter echoed round the Infirmary.


End file.
